ShowSimpleMessageBox

Discussions about the BBC BASIC language, with particular reference to BB4W and BBCSDL
circe
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed 07 May 2025, 09:26

ShowSimpleMessageBox

Post by circe »

]SYS "SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox", flags%, caption$, message$, @hwnd%, @memhdc%
is very useful, but for those of us with failing eyesight, it would be helpful if it were possible to increase the font size, short of using FN_messagebox.
Have I missed something? Or should this be an Enhancement Request?
Richard Russell
Posts: 477
Joined: Tue 18 Jun 2024, 09:32

Re: ShowSimpleMessageBox

Post by Richard Russell »

circe wrote: Sat 04 Oct 2025, 09:52

Code: Select all

SYS "SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox", flags%, caption$, message$, @hwnd%, @memhdc%
is very useful, but for those of us with failing eyesight, it would be helpful if it were possible to increase the font size
A Google search shows that you're not the first to ask that question, see here where Sam Lantinga has responded with "added this to the 3.x milestone on Nov 7, 2023". But even if it has indeed been added to SDL3, and I'm not sure that it has, that's not a lot of use to you given that you're using SDL2!
short of using FN_messagebox...
Since FN_messagebox (in fact FN_messageboxdpi since you want to change the font size) seems the obvious solution, what is the reason for your hesitation?
circe
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed 07 May 2025, 09:26

Re: ShowSimpleMessageBox

Post by circe »

Thank you Richard.
I was rather hoping to use SimpleMessageBox instead of FN_messagebox.
  • The flags% parameter determines what kind of symbol is displayed, whereas FN_messagebox does not. Or am I wrong about that too?
    It is not necessary to ensure the Window is large enough for the MessageBox.
It is just aesthetics, but presentation can matter. I just want to be sure that I had not missed a trick.
Richard Russell
Posts: 477
Joined: Tue 18 Jun 2024, 09:32

Re: ShowSimpleMessageBox

Post by Richard Russell »

circe wrote: Sat 04 Oct 2025, 16:07 I was rather hoping to use SimpleMessageBox instead of FN_messagebox.
By all means add your own request for enhancement at the SDL forum but I can't offer much hope that they will act on it, and even if they do it would almost certainly only be in SDL3, not SDL2.
The flags% parameter determines what kind of symbol is displayed, whereas FN_messagebox does not.
Indeed. Adding a symbol would have meant considerable extra complication, not least in needing the various symbols to be available as image files (presumably in the @lib$ folder).

But feel free to modify it yourself. Just copy the code from FN_messagebox into your own program, or make a custom version of the library, and add the necessary code to display a symbol. It shouldn't be complicated, and you can always submit it as a suggested update to the library!