create

Type

command

Summary

Creates a new object on the current card.

Syntax

create [invisible] <objectType> [<objectName>] [in {<group>|<card>}]

Description

Use the create command to make a new control or grouped control.

The new object takes its properties from the corresponding template; for example, newly created buttons match the properties of the templateButton.

If you use the invisible form, the object is created with its visible property set to false, so it cannot be seen. Use this form to create a hidden object, change its appearance or position, then make it visible.

When the new control is created, the Pointer tool is automatically chosen. If you use the create command in a handler, you can use the following statement after the create command to resume using the Browse tool:send "choose browse tool" to me in 1 tick

note

In the development environment, after an object is created, LiveCode automatically resets the corresponding template to its default values. This means that if you change an object template and then create several objects of that type, only the first object will reflect your settings. To prevent LiveCode from automatically setting the template back to its defaults, set the lockMessages property to true before creating the objects:

    set the borderWidth of the templateButton to 8
    lock messages
    repeat for 5 times
    create button
    end repeat
    unlock messages

LiveCode resets the template only when in the development environment, not in standalone applications.

tip

To create a control in a specific stack, first set the defaultStack to the stack where you want to create the new control:

    set the defaultStack to \"My Stack\"
    create button \"My Button\"

or create the control in a card attached to the specific stack:

    create stack \"Specific stack\"
    create card \"Example Card\" in stack \"Specific stack\"
    create button \"My Button\" in card \"Example Card\"

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
objectType	enum	"field" "button" "image" "scrollbar" "graphic" "player"
objectName		The name to call the newly created object. If you don't specify a name, the object is created with a default name.
group		A reference or and expression that evaluates to a reference to a group on the current card. If you specify a group, the new object is a member of the group, and exists on each card that has the group. If you specify neither a group nor a card, the object is created on the current card and appears only on that card.
card		A reference or and expression that evaluates to a reference to a card. If you specify a card, the control will be a member of that card, otherwise it will be a member of the current card.

Examples

create button "Click Me"

create invisible field in group 1

create button "Click me" in card "Card1"

Related

property: lockMessages, defaultStack

command: create stack, create card

keyword: templateButton

Compatibility and Support

Introduced

LiveCode 1.0

OS

mac

windows

linux

ios

android

Platforms

desktop

server

mobile