Need help with scripting Panel Box

[#1]

I have a Panel Box with V List Box that has Combo box and two If Boxes with content of different size. Depending on Combo Box selection I show either smaller If Box or Bigger If Box.

notReadyTablesText = "Need to join tables";
readyTableText = "I have the table";
selectorOptions = Eval List( {notReadyTablesText, readyTableText} );
					
Panel Box( "Select tables",
	stVLB = V List Box(
		readyTablesSelector = Combo Box(
			selectorOptions,
			selector = readyTablesSelector << Get Selected();
			Show( selector );
			If(
				selector == notReadyTablesText,
					notReadyTables << Set( 1 );
					readyTables << Set( 0 );,
				selector == readyTableText,
					notReadyTables << Set( 0 );
					readyTables << Set( 1 );
			)
								
			;
		),
		notReadyTables = If Box(
			1,
			V List Box(
				Button Box( "Table 1", t1Open ),
				Button Box( "Table 2", t2Open ),
				join = Button Box( "Join Tables",
					notImplemented;
								
				)
			)
		),
		readyTables = If Box( 0, Button Box( "Load Tables", loadTable ) )
	)	
		
);

When I switch the combo box, the size of the Panel Box changes and everything that is below that Panel Box is jumping. How do I keep the same size of the Panel Box?

I tried Set Height, Set Auto Stretching, Set Min Size() etc.

[#2]

It can be a little difficult to manually set Button Box() sizes (I usually use a H Splitter  Box() and Lineup Box() to have JMP auto-size everything), but the best method I've found is to send the message <<Set Min Size( width, 25 ) << Set Max Size( width, 25 ).

notReadyTablesText = "Need to join tables";
readyTableText = "I have the table";
selectorOptions = Eval List( {notReadyTablesText, readyTableText} );
					
pb = Panel Box( "Select tables",
	stVLB = V List Box(
		readyTablesSelector = Combo Box(
			selectorOptions,
			selector = readyTablesSelector << Get Selected();
			Show( selector );
			If(
				selector == notReadyTablesText,
					notReadyTables << Set( 1 );
					readyTables << Set( 0 );,
				selector == readyTableText,
					notReadyTables << Set( 0 );
					readyTables << Set( 1 );
			)
								
			;
		),
		notReadyTables = If Box(
			1,
			V List Box(
				bb1 = Button Box( "Table 1", t1Open ),
				bb2 = Button Box( "Table 2", t2Open ),
				join = Button Box( "Join Tables",
					notImplemented;
								
				)
			)
		),
		readyTables = If Box( 1, bb3 = Button Box( "Load Tables (really long button name)", loadTable ) )
	)	
		
);

new window( "test",
	pb
);

boxes = {bb1, bb2, bb3, join};

max size =  Max( {readytables, notReadyTables} << Get Width );
boxes << Set Min Size( max size, 25 ) << set Max Size( max size, 25 );
readyTables << Set( 0 );

[#3]

I'm talking about size in X, I'm talking about size in Y.

In your example the height of the Panel Box is changing.

This:

vs. this:

I have other panel boxes below this one - and they start jumping.

Anyways, I gave up and implemented it as a Line Up Box for now.

[#4]

One other method is using Spacer Box() with size in one direction as 0, you can see it used here A Structured Approach to Programming With JSL for Building Real World, Scalable Applications ( 2019-... . I think it was the section which starts at 22:00.

View more...

Names Default To Here(1);

notReadyTablesText = "Need to join tables";
readyTableText = "I have the table";
selectorOptions = Eval List({notReadyTablesText, readyTableText});

new window("",		
	Panel Box("Select tables",
		stVLB = V List Box(
			readyTablesSelector = Combo Box(
				selectorOptions,
				selector = readyTablesSelector << Get Selected();
				Show(selector);
				If(
					selector == notReadyTablesText,
						notReadyTables << Set(1);
						readyTables << Set(0);,
					selector == readyTableText,
						notReadyTables << Set(0);
						readyTables << Set(1);
				)
			),
			H List Box(Spacer Box(Size(0,75)),
				notReadyTables = If Box(
					1,
					V List Box(
						Button Box("Table 1", t1Open),
						Button Box("Table 2", t2Open),
						join = Button Box("Join Tables",
							notImplemented;
						)
					)
				),
				readyTables = If Box(0, Button Box("Load Tables", loadTable))
			)
		)	
	)
)

[#5]

Here is an example of using H Splitter Box() and Lineup Box() to do this.  Note that this also scopes everything into an anonymous namespace to prevent cross-talk if multiple windows are opened at the same time from this script.

Names Default to Here( 1 );

self = New Namespace();

self:notReadyTablesText = "Need to join tables";
self:readyTableText = "I have the table";
self:selectorOptions = Eval List( {self:notReadyTablesText, self:readyTableText} );

Eval( Eval Expr(
self:button generator = Function( {title, callback},
	{Default Local},
	self = Namespace( Expr( self << Get Name ) );
	Eval( Parse( Eval Insert( JSL Quote(
	box = Button Box( title, <<Set Function(
		Function( {this},
			{Default Local},
			self = Namespace( "^self << Get Name^" );
			Eval( Parse( "self:^callback^" ) )
		)
	) ) ) );
	) );
	box
);

New Window( "test",
	<<On Close(
		self = Namespace( Expr( self << Get Name() ) );
		self << Remove( self << Get Keys );
		Delete Namespaces( Force( 1 ), self )
	)
,
	H Splitter box(
		Lineup Box( N Col( 1 ), Spacing( 0 ),
			Spacer Box( <<Set Auto Stretching( 1, 0 ) )
		,
			self:readyTableSelector = Combo Box(
				self:selectorOptions,
				<<Set Function( Function( {this},
					{Default Local},
					self = Namespace( Expr( self << Get Name ) );
					self:handle selector choice;
				) )
			)
		,
			self:not ready tables = If Box( 1,
				Lineup Box( N Col( 1 ), Spacing( 0 ),
					Spacer Box( <<Set Auto Stretching( 1, 0 ) )
				,
					self:button generator( "Table 1", "open button( this )" )
				,
					self:button generator( "Table 2", "open button( this )" )
				,
					self:button generator( "Join Tables", "handle join" )
				)
			)
		,
			self:ready tables = If Box( 0,
				Lineup Box( N Col( 1 ), Spacing( 0 ),
					Spacer Box( <<Set Auto Stretching( 1, 0 ) )
				,
					self:button generator( "Load Tables", "load tables" )
				)
			)
		)
	,
		Spacer Box( <<Set Auto Stretching( 1, 0 ) )
	,
		<<Set Sizes( {0.01, 0.99} )
	)
);

self:handle selector choice = Function( {},
	{Default Local},
	self = Namespace( Expr( self << Get Name() ) );
	selector = self:readyTableSelector << Get Selected;
	If(
		selector == self:notReadyTablesText,
			self:notReadyTables << Set( 1 );
			self:readyTables << Set( 0 );,
		selector == self:readyTableText,
			self:notReadyTables << Set( 0 );
			self:readyTables << Set( 1 );
	)
);

self:open button = Function( {this},
	{Default Local},
	self = Namespace( Expr( self << Get Name() ) );
	Print( "Open table '" || (this << Get Button Name) || "'" );
);

self:handle join = Function( {},
	Print( "Not Implemented" )
);

self:load tables = Function( {},
	Print( "Not Implemented" )
);

self << Get Name
) );

[#6]

Thanks a lot!

I'm not that good with expressions etc. I need to read on that first to be able to  understand your code

For instance, I don't understand, why do I have to say

Eval(Eval Expr(self = Namespace(Expr(self << Get Name)););)

when I can just say 

self = Namespace(self << Get Name);

and then, why do I even have to say that? Why can't I just use the namespace by referring to it by "self"?