Drop down list

[Guest]

Hi,

I need to add a drop down list on a slide in captivate 6. By selecting an item from this list, the value of a specific variable should be modified and contain the selected item. Is this possible in Captivate 6? Does anyone have an idea about it?

I try to find a widget corresponding to my request, but nothing on the internet dseems to match with this.

Please help !!

[Lilybiri]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

Are you not looking too far? There is a dropdown/combobox widget included in Captivate 6 and it has an associated variable. When the user chooses something from the list, that item will be stored in that variable. For tips about using widgets, have a look at:

http://lilybiri.posterous.com/using-captivate-widgets-some-tips

Lilybiri

[Guest]

Hi and thanks for your quick answer !!

I already read it on the forum but I wasn't able to find it in my widget library. I just have founbd the solution: some features, such as widgets,  were locked by my user profile. I ran Captivate with my admin account and now all widgets are unlocked.

I can go further... thanks hepling me finding the solution !

Bye

[juliewales]

Hi Lilybiri

I read your blog on tips for captivate widgets but I'm still having some issues with the dropdown widget on Captivate 6.

I have created a 5 entry drop down box, I have stated the 5 variable names (all in the widget properties box).  I also created 5 variables of the same name in the Project / variables area but it appears that the widget and the variablesare not communicating.  I have a conditional advanced action to show some text when one of the entries is chosen and then a button clicked, but nothing is happening. I am assuming that when the variable is set initially to 0 and that if chosen in the drop down box it will change to 1????

Please help

cheers

Julie

[Lilybiri]

Julie,

The dropdown/combox widget allows to select only one item, which means only one variable can be associated with that widget. Is 'sixteen' the associated variable for that widget?

I do not like this widget (never blogged about it) because it automatically takes the first value of the ones you assign to the dropdown list, so it is never 'empty' or equal to 0. And Jim didn't extend this widget so you cannot control its content. Even if you leave the default value of the variable empty, or assign it a value=0 it still will replace that value by the first in the dropdown list. Hope this makes sense and explains why your advanced action will not work. Moreover the value '0' has many interpretations for Captivate, it can be empty, the number 0 or an empty string and during my many tests I found that your IF condition where you ask if a variable is not equal to 0 will almost never be functional.

The only workaround I know is to add an entry as first value, that is not empty or 0. It will show up in the Dropdown box, so something like 'None' or 'Empty' should to the trick. Then you can use the condition:

     IF sixteen not equal to None

Sighing, hope we'll once get real differences between strings and numbers, and improved widgets.

Lilybiri

[juliewales]

Hi Lilybiri

Thanks for your help once again.

It didn't quite work the way you explained because I probably didn't describe the issue correctly, but your explanation gave me the knowledge to rethink it.  I had a list and only one entry could be chosen, I used the condition - if sixteen is equal to 16 then ......

It works perfectly, you're a great source of information as always.

Thanks for your help

Julie

[margaac]

I know that posterous is no longer ... and am aware you were moving your blogs some time ago.

Where can we find you [moved] blogs (and info)??

Many thanks.

[Sreekanth_S]

Here it is.

http://blog.lilybiri.com/

Sreekanth

[Lilybiri]

Sreekanth gave you the link, as long as I'll keep it. Reason is that I'm fed up by always having to pay myself for a blog (paying both for domain and Posthaven to store the archive) that offers everything for free.

Lilybiri

[margaac]

Lilybiri ...

I'm sorry ... I seem to have hit a "nerve" with you.

(I only wish Adobe provided full documentation for the widgets, so that it wasn't necessary to ask for help.)

I do so appreciate your information and willingness to help others on the forum.

I went to the link that Sreekanth posted above ... clicked the link on the left side for widget tags ... and did not find the old post(s) I'd hoped to find on the dropdown widget.  (Confused)

[Lilybiri]

I never blogged about the dropdown, because it had memory leaks in previous versions. But I did blog about the ListArea widget, bit similar but where you can select multiple items in the dropdown list. Sorry for my ranting, too much happened and that makes me feel exploited. Have spent hundreds, maybe thousands hours for free helping out other users, sometimes only to earn some insults.

[tomljagogo]

Your page no longer works.

[Lilybiri]

If you talk about the blog post I mentioned, it works perfectly for me. Those tips are for the widgets, not for the learning interactions. Please, be at least a bit more detailed instead of just saying 'Your page no longer works'?

[agnieszkab]

Hi, I'm working on Cp7 and I wanted to use dropdown list on the slide with exercise (the user sees 4 sentences and he/she has to decide which step it is). I gave the widget dropdown list a variable name, but I can't see this variable in advanced actions for example. Lilibiri, I've read your artickle reted to listcox, but I can't find it in CP7 (?).

I also tried the scrolling text, but I don't see the option to choose one answer from many.

I've tried checkbox too, but I don't see the variable name to choose in advanced actions

Could you please help me with this exercise?

Regards,

Agnieszka

[Lilybiri]

The listbox widget is still there, what you are showing is an Interaction. There is no listbox interaction.

As for all widgets and interactions you have to create the user variable. Using Captivate Widgets? Some tips - Captivate blog It is never automatically created because you enter it in the Properties for the Widget/Interaction.

[agnieszkab]

Hi Lilybiri,

thanks for your quick response.

So, I should first create a variable, and then put the variable name in the interaction box?

I can't see the Listbox, could you please show me which one is it?

Regards,

Agnieszka

[Lilybiri]

That is again the list with interactions, not the 'widgets'. I know, it is so confusing....

To insert a widget, choose the Widgets workspace. In the Widgets panel you'll see the Widgets. They are stored in the Widgets folder of the Gallery (in the Captivate installation folder).

The Interactions (that are in reality also widgets but compatible with HTML5 output) are also in the Gallery, but in the folder Interactions. Moreover this folder is duplicated in the Users folder, Public Documents. I suppose you are showing the list in that folder, because everyone has access to it.

Again ranting, but why is the Help not better concerning this subject. I have a complete list with both widgets and interactions, not published.

You can create the variable also after having entered it in the Widget Properties, but you have to create it and be careful: names are case sensitive.

[agnieszkab]

Yeah, you're righ. I did Insert-> Widget and it showed me the interaction list

Nevertheless, I confirm that now I've found listbox

Regards,

Agnieszka

[Lilybiri]

That path was set to the wrong folder, now remember. It is correct in CP8, where the Widgets panel has gone, only way to insert Widgets there is with Insert, Widgets.

[lefthook77]

Is there any way to send a combobox selected variable to an LMS report?

[Lilybiri]

That depends on the LMS functionality at the first place.

[donalall]

Hi Lieve,

I'm using CP8 (8.0.0.145) and when i select "Insert > Widget" it shows me the Interaction list i.e. Learning Interactions.

(... Public Documents > Adobe > eLearning Assets > Interactions)

I thought you said it was fixed in CP8 (your June 27th response)?

Or maybe I'm not understanding the conversation.

Donal.

http://uk.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

[Lilybiri]

Normally it should point to the correct folder, that was the case for me.

Sorry if you seem to have another experience. Can you browse to

Gallery\widgets in the installation folder of Captivate?

[donalall]

Hi Lieve

Yes i can browse to the Gallery\widgets in the installation folder of Captivate using Windows Explorer.

This is what I see. Is this the same view i should be getting when I select "Insert > Widget"?

Donal.

[Lilybiri]

Yes, that is what you should see for Insert, Widget.