Static Text Handle Creation

Hello All,

I have a hopefully quick and easy question for you guys that I need help answering. I have looked around for quite a while and it is my understanding that handles are not automatically created for static text boxes, at least those that are made in GUIDE, which mine is. I have created the callback function and in it there is a comment that says:

"handles empty - handles not created until after all CreateFcns called"

What I am trying to do is have an error come up if the user inputs an incorrect number in an editable text box. This will be done by first setting the Static Text visibility to off. I can already achieve this by writing "set(hObject, 'visible', 'off'); " in the callback function for the text box. However, using hObject is only possible within the callback for that function so I am trying to use the handle like from a normal push button: "set(handles.ErrorText, 'visible', 'on'); " to be created after a push button is pressed and it does not work.

If it is because of the fact that no handle has been created for it, could you help me learn how to make one because I can't figure it out.

Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

[Joseph Cheng]

there should be a tag associated with the static text. default is "handles.text1", it doesn't create functions like the other uicontrols since it is usually just used as static text. so i am not sure what you're accomplishing with the set(hObject....) within the text box as that would turn the text box visibility off.

i created a simple GUIDE gui with a button and a static text field (set property value to be visible off). Then i put

set(handles.text1,'visible','on')

under the button callback.

Running this simple gui, i can turn the static text field to be visible when i push the button.

example of my test gui containing just a static text with tag text1 and a pushbutton1.

    function pushbutton1_Callback(hObject, eventdata, handles)
    % hObject    handle to pushbutton1 (see GCBO)
    % eventdata  reserved - to be defined in a future version of MATLAB
    % handles    structure with handles and user data (see GUIDATA)
    status = get(handles.text1,'visible');
    switch status
        case 'on'
        set(handles.text1,'visible','off');
        case 'off'
            set(handles.text1,'visible','on');
    end

[Bryce]

What version of MATLAB are you running? I am on 2012b so I am not sure if there is a difference?

But I am shutting off the visibility of an error message until the error occurs and then it pops up by changing the visibility to on.

That is precisely what I have tried and want to do but it does not function as expected. I have made the same occur with push buttons but can't with the text which is frustrating.

I have changed the tag in mine to "ErrorText" so I put

"set(handles.ErrorText, 'visible', 'on');

This for some reason doesn't work though :(

[Bryce]

Another note is that I turned the visibility off in the property inspector in GUIDE and then tried to basically cancel it in the callback of the static text box by putting:

set(handles.ErrorText, 'visible', 'on')

This does not work because the text doesn't appear, but if I put under the same static text callback:

set(hObject, 'visible', 'on')

And the static text box appears so it worked. It just seems like the handle is not functioning. I solely did this to experiment, obviously I realize what I am trying to do in this reply would not come in handy with the actual program

[Bryce]

I figured out what I did wrong, I was recalling the GUI and that reinitialized the visibility to off so as soon as it turned back on, it shut off. Sorry for wasting your time, thanks for the quick answer though

[Joseph Cheng]

Have you tried my simple example? I run it from both 2013b and 2011a. so i'm sure 2012b would work.

How are you getting to the static text callback? I didn't think static text has a Callback function. it has a create, delete, and buttondwn function.

how far deep is your set(handles.ErrorText...)? is it within the edit box? Also please differentiate between static text and edit text. Edit text box is what you can edit, static is just static text (user unable to input text)

check out my example. type in on, off, or anything you want.