backgroundPattern

Type

property

Summary

The backgroundPattern specifies the pattern used to draw an object's background.

Syntax

set the backgroundPattern of <object> to {<patternNumber> | <imageID> | empty}

Description

Use the backgroundPattern property to specify the pattern used for the background on which an image appears, or the pattern used to draw an object.

Pattern images can be color or black-and-white.

Cross-platform note

To be used as a pattern on Mac OS systems, an image must be 128x128 pixels or less, and both its height and width must be a power of 2, however, in LiveCode LiveCode 2.7, this restriction was partially lifted and the engine will tile rectangular regions correctly with arbitrarily sized background patterns.To be used on Windows and Unix systems, height and width must be divisible by 8. To be used as a fully cross-platform pattern, both an image's dimensions should be one of 8, 16, 32, 64, or 128.

The backgroundPattern of controls is drawn starting at the control's upper left corner: if the control is moved, the pattern does not shift.

Setting the backgroundPattern of an object to empty allows the backgroundPattern of the object's owner to show through. Use the effective keyword to find out what pattern is used for the object, even if its own backgroundPattern is empty.

The setting of the backgroundPattern property has different effects, depending on the object type:

• The backgroundPattern of a stack or card fills the entire stack window, as well as determining the backgroundPattern of each object in the stack or card that does not have its own backgroundPattern.

Cross-platform note

On Mac OS, OS X, and Windows systems, if the backgroundColor and backgroundPattern of all objects in the object hierarchy is empty, the background set by the system is used.

• The backgroundPattern of a group determines the backgroundPattern of each object in the group that does not have its own backgroundPattern.

• The backgroundPattern of a button fills the area inside the button's outline. If the button's style is "checkbox", the backgroundPattern fills the checkbox. If the button's style is "radioButton", the backgroundPattern has no effect. If the button is a tabbed button, the backgroundPattern fills the tab area and the frontmost tab, but does not affect the other tabs.

Cross-platform note

If the lookAndFeel is set to "Appearance Manager", standard and rectangle buttons are drawn by the operating system if the backgroundColor and backgroundPattern of the button is empty. Otherwise, the button is drawn by LiveCode. If the lookAndFeel is "Appearance Manager", button menus whose menuMode is set to "option" or "comboBox" are always drawn by the operating system, and the setting of the backgroundPattern does not affect them.

• The backgroundPattern of a field fills the area inside the field's outline and (if the field is a scrolling field) the arrow boxes at the ends of the scrollbar. If you set the backgroundPattern of a chunk of a field (on Unix systems), only that chunk is affected.

• The backgroundPattern of a scrollbar fills the arrow boxes at the ends of the scrollbar.

• The backgroundPattern of a graphic is displayed inside the graphic's border if the graphic's fill property is true. If the graphic's fill is false, the setting of the backgroundPattern has no effect.

• The backgroundPattern of an EPS object fills the object's rectangle.

• The backgroundPattern of an image, audio clip, video clip, or player has no effect.

If an object's backgroundPattern is set, the pattern is shown instead of the color specified by backgroundColor.

Examples

set the backgroundPattern of this card to 544

set the backgroundPattern of me to the ID of image "Fill"

Related

keyword: effective, field, image, button, card, scrollbar, player, graphic, control

object: graphic, button, field, stack

property: metal, pixels, opaque, patterns, width, height, style, backgroundPattern, lookAndFeel, menuMode, foregroundPattern, backgroundColor, owner, shadowPattern

command: group

function: stacks

glossary: object, tabbed button, property, stack window, button menu, Windows, video clip, OS X, keyword, audio clip, chunk, object hierarchy, Mac OS, Unix, object type, EPS, current stack

Compatibility and Support

Introduced

LiveCode 1.0

OS

mac

windows

linux

ios

android

Platforms

desktop

server

mobile