function MessageDlgPos ( const Message : string; DialogType : TMsgDlgType; Buttons : TMsgDlgButtons; HelpContext : Longint; X, Y : Integer ) : Integer;
Description
The MessageDlgPos function is used to display messages to the user at a given screen position. These messages may be informational, or warnings or whatever. There is complete freedom over the choice of buttons that the user may press to acknowledge the dialog.
For example, the user may be shown an error message, and be allowed to abort, retry or cancel the erroneous process.
The screen coordinates are given by the X and Y values.
The DialogType may have one of the following enumerated values:
mtWarning Displays a exclamation mark
mtError Displays a red 'X'
mtInformation Displays an 'i' in a bubble
mtConfirmation Displays an question mark
mtCustom Displays just the message
The Buttons value may be one or more of the following enumerated values :
mbYes Displays a 'Yes' button
mbNo Displays a 'No' button
mbOK Displays an 'OK' button
mbCancel Displays a 'Cancel' button
mbAbort Displays an 'Abort' button
mbRetry Displays a 'Retry' button
mbIgnore Displays an 'Ignore' button
mbAll Displays an 'All' button
mbNoToAll Displays a 'No to all' button
mbYesToAll Displys a 'Yes to all' button
mbHelp Displays a 'Help' button
You specify these values comma separated in square brackets, as in the second code example.
Delphi provides a number of predefined button combinations:
mbYesNoCancel = [mbYes,mbNO,mbCancel]
mbYesAllNoAllCancel =[mbYes,mbYesToAll, mbNo,mbNoToAll,mbCancel]
mbOKCancel =[mbOK,mbCancel]
mbAbortRetryCancel =[mbAbort,mbRetry,mbCancel]
mbAbortIgnore =[mbAbort,mbIgnore]
Now Delphi seem to have made a design error when setting the return value from the dialog box. Instead of specifying the enumeration value of the button pressed, it uses a completely different set of enumeration names:
mrYes = 6
mrNo = 7
mrOK = 1
mrCancel = 2
mrAbort = 3
mrRetry = 4
mrIgnore = 5
mrAll = 8
mrNoToAll = 9
mrYesToAll = 10
The values given are the numerical values of these enumerations, given in the numerical order that the mb equivalents are defined. This is very odd.
Additionally, these values are defined in the Controls unit, not the Dialogs unit.
Note that the Help button has no equivalent return value. This is because it does not terminate the dialog.
The HelpContext value is used in conjunction with the Help button. It's use is beyond the scope of Delphi Basics.
Related commands
InputBox Display a dialog that asks for user text input, with default
InputQuery Display a dialog that asks for user text input
MessageDlg Displays a message, symbol, and selectable buttons
ShowMessage Display a string in a simple dialog with an OK button
ShowMessageFmt Display formatted data in a simple dialog with an OK button
ShowMessagePos Display a string in a simple dialog at a given screen position
Example code : Display a confirmation dialog
var
buttonSelected : Integer;
begin
// Show a confirmation dialog at 20,100
buttonSelected := MessageDlgPos('Confirmation',mtError, mbOKCancel, 0, 20, 100);
// Show the button type selected
if buttonSelected = mrOK then ShowMessage('OK pressed');
if buttonSelected = mrCancel then ShowMessage('Cancel pressed');
end;
Show full unit code
A confirmation dialog is displayed with OK and Cancel buttons at 20,100 coordinates.
The user presses OK :
OK pressed
is displayed in another dialog box.
Example code : Displays a custom dialog with custom button selection
var
buttonSelected : Integer;
begin
// Show a custom dialog at 20,100 coordinates
buttonSelected := MessageDlgPos('Custom dialog',mtCustom, [mbYes,mbAll,mbCancel], 0, 20, 100);
// Show the button type selected
if buttonSelected = mrYes then ShowMessage('Yes pressed');
if buttonSelected = mrAll then ShowMessage('All pressed');
if buttonSelected = mrCancel then ShowMessage('Cancel pressed');
end;
Show full unit code
A dialog with no icon is displayed with Yes, Cancel and All buttons at 20,100 coordinates.
The user presses the All button :
All pressed
is shown in another dialog