If you want to use all the examples from AMS 5 to AMS 7.5 in your AMS 8 projects, please take note below.

AMS 8 is using an updated version of LUA 5.1. One of the most important change is the TABLE ITERATION.

This is the old code used in AMS 5 to AMS 7.5 for TABLE ITERATION ( loops )

-----------------------------------------------
mytable = {"One","Two","Three"};

for k, v in mytable do
Dialog.Message("Table Item", k .. "=" .. v);
end
-----------------------------------------------


If my examples are using LOOPS, you need to change like below:


----------------------------------------------
mytable = {"One","Two","Three"};

for k, v in pairs(mytable) do
Dialog.Message("Table Item", k .. "=" .. v);
end
----------------------------------------------


See the word “pairs” in red and the bracket, above?

Just add a BRACKET around your TABLE NAME and add the word “pairs“.

Then all my examples using loops will work.

lol ….. 99.9 % of my examples are using LOOPS.
You’ll definitely have to change the codes.

Hope this helps.

We need to improve the Search Image Utility slightly before we go forward and insert it to our Mini Email Address Book. The previous examples shows how to search the whole selected drive. This time, we can drill down and choose our search to specific folder. This way, we don’t need to search the whole drives everytime. Now we have more control of our search.

If you check the screen shot below, you’ll see I’ve added 2 Buttons, 1 Check Box and an additional Label.

Search Image Utility

The Refresh Button :  refreshes any new storage media that was just inserted such as Thumbdrive and etc. It also clears the Selected Folder Path Flat Input Box.

The Folder Button : opens a Dialog of Folders within the Selected Drive. Select a Folder. The path will appear in the Flat Input Box. This input box is Read Only. So you can’t delete what you selected by typing into it. To delete it, you have to use REFRESH BUTTON. To choose another folder, just click the FOLDER BUTTON again.

The Check Box “Keep Previous Search” : will let you keep previous search in the Search Result ListBox. This is useful for doing lots of searches, trim what you dont need and save into specific Groups. This is where the new Label comes into play.

The Label “FOUND” : shows the total number of items found in the latest search.

The Label “TOTAL” : shows the total number of items in the ListBox.

Search Image Utility : Folder Drill Down

For the purpose of the Mini Email Address Book, the Image Size I plan to use are normally small. We have the choice of using our favourite Image Editing Tool. If we need to embed a basic image editing console, then the use of DLLs is unavoidable. So in the next article, I’ll be using some DLLs to :
1. Rotate Image
2. Resize Image
3. Crop Image

I will maintain the Images’ Aspect Ratio and then Save the Images into its special folder just for the Mini Email Address Book.

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Please leave a comment if you choose to download this example.

WARNING : This example needs advance familiarity with AMS objects and actions. Cut and paste will not help in improving your skills.  You need substantial understanding to place Error Check functions in the scripts. Advance skills is also needed if you plan to improve this example and repair my mistakes. SO…. if you are not familiar with AMS object and actions, please dig and understand Basic Examples I have posted earlier.  And use the HELP FILE as reference.

I noticed a lot of downloads for the Basic SlideShow. Safe to say that the posted sample is quite useful indeed. Thanks for downloading, but where are the comments? Even short comments would be much appreciated.

As promised, here’s the Search Image Utility with a SlideShow feature, alongwith of the Thumblist feature.

From the ScreenShot below, you will notice I’ve added a Slide Show button to the project. OnClick, a Temp Table is created by collecting info from the ListBox. Then the same action opens a DialogEx with a SlideShow object. OnShow, the DialogEx collects info from the Temp Table and inserts them (image path) into the SlideShow object. No big deal. The Temp Table is the KEY. It bridges info between objects. AMS & LUA rulez !!!!

Search Image with SlideShow

Your Search Results can be seen in a SlideShow. And if you select a Saved Groups, you can view a SlideShow of it as well ( shown on the screen shot below ). AND …………if you tweak this example further with RETESET’s, SSIDE’s, UPETER’s, WORM’s & DERMOT’s plugins, you’ll amazed yourself with a feature-rich Electronic Album.

Search Image Utility with Slide Show

Finally, if you plan to distribute APPs developed from project examples in this blog, PLEASE INCLUDE ERROR CHECK FUNCTION for each AMS action. It’s your responsibility to do that. Most of my examples are without error checking for the sake of clarity.

Please leave your comments in this blog.

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I thought of inserting a SlideShow function into our Search Image File Utility. This will put it closer towards becoming an Electronic Album. Before doing this, some readers may want to see a basic example of a stand-alone Slide Show.

A Basic SlideShow

What this project does:
1. Auto-Populate Images from AMS images folder into the SlideShow.
2. Place the first Image immediately, so we don’t see a blank or black screen.
3. Auto Insert Slide Number & Total Slide Number in an FLAT INPUT BOX.
4. Clicking the Start Button will start the SlideShow. Auto is OFF.
5. As the SlideShow plays, the FLAT INPUT BOX shows the current Slide Number, dynamically.
6. Also, as the SlideShow plays, another Input Box shows the current Image Path, dynamically. Clicking OPEN button will run that Image in a user default image software.

I’ve inserted some control over the SlideShow. So, we know where we are, stop it wherever we want to,  return to previous slides or go to the next slides as we wish. And run it from there.

Anyways, we can have more advanced control such as Re-Arrange the Sequence of Images, Save that sequence for a Presentation, Delete Unwanted Images from the SlideShow as well as Navigate right to a Slide from a Number Input. And ….. I leave these extra functions entirely for your development pleasure.

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This example shows how to use Combo Box to insert and arrange IMAGES into groups of Slide Shows.

Screen Shot : Combo to Slide Show

Right-click to Download the APZ file.