GetString Method (ActiveX)

Gets a string from the user.

Supported platforms: Windows only

Signature

VBA:

RetVal = object.GetString(HasSpaces [, Prompt])

object

Type: Utility

The object this method applies to.

HasSpaces

Access: Input-only

Type: Long

• 0: The return string cannot contain spaces. It is terminated by a carriage return or space.
• 1: The return string can contain spaces. It is terminated by a carriage return only.

Prompt

Access: Input-only; optional

Type: Variant (string)

The text used to prompt the user for input.

Return Value (RetVal)

Type: String

The string returned from the user.

Remarks

AutoCAD pauses for user input of the string, and sets the result to the string that the user enters. The HasSpaces parameter specifies whether the string can contain spaces. The Prompt parameter specifies a string that this method displays before AutoCAD pauses.

The AutoCAD user can enter the string from the keyboard. If the HasSpaces parameter is True, the string can contain blanks and the user must terminate it by entering [Return]. If HasSpaces is False, entering either a blank or [Return] terminates the string. If the user enters more than 132 characters, string entry continues until the user enters a blank or carriage return (according to HasSpaces), but GetString places only the first 132 characters into the return value.

Examples

VBA:

Sub Example_GetString()
    ' This example demonstrates different ways of returning a string
    ' entered by a user.
    
    AppActivate ThisDrawing.Application.Caption
    
    Dim returnString As String
    
    ' Prompt & Input cannot contain blanks
    returnString = ThisDrawing.Utility.GetString(False, "Enter text (a space or  terminates input): ")
    MsgBox "The string entered was '" & returnString & "'", , "GetString Example"
    
    ' Prompt & Input can contain blanks
    returnString = ThisDrawing.Utility.GetString(True, "Enter text ( terminates input):")
    MsgBox "The string entered was '" & returnString & "'", , "GetString Example"
    
    ' Prompt & Input can contain blanks, but not an empty string
    Dim NoNull As Integer
    NoNull = 1    ' Disallow null
    ThisDrawing.Utility.InitializeUserInput NoNull
    returnString = ThisDrawing.Utility.GetString(True, "Enter text ( terminates input): ")
    MsgBox "The string entered was '" & returnString & "'", , "GetString Example"

End Sub

Visual LISP:

(vl-load-com)
(defun c:Example_GetString()
    ;; This example demonstrates different ways of returning a string
    ;; entered by a user.
    (setq acadObj (vlax-get-acad-object))
    (setq doc (vla-get-ActiveDocument acadObj))    
    
    ;; Prompt & Input cannot contain blanks
    (setq returnString (vla-GetString (vla-get-Utility doc) :vlax-false "Enter text (a space or <enter> terminates input): "))
    (alert (strcat "The string entered was '" returnString "'"))
    
    ;; Prompt & Input can contain blanks
    (setq returnString (vla-GetString (vla-get-Utility doc) :vlax-true "Enter text (<enter> terminates input):"))
    (alert (strcat "The string entered was '" returnString "'"))
    
    ;; Prompt & Input can contain blanks, but not an empty string
    (setq NoNull 1)    ;; Disallow null
    (vla-InitializeUserInput (vla-get-Utility doc) NoNull)
    (setq returnString (vla-GetString (vla-get-Utility doc) :vlax-true "Enter text (<enter> terminates input): "))
    (alert (strcat "The string entered was '" returnString "'"))
)