Read-only text script component

The read-only text component lets you add text that an agent cannot modify at run time. Read-only text is useful for displaying written instructions to the agent, or for labeling controls. To add editable text, use the Text input component.

1. Click the Text icon on the component toolbar. 

2. Type the text that you want the agent to read, or a label that describes another component. For example, enter “First Name:” to label a text input box.

   Tip: To embed the run-time value of a variable:

   1. Click the cube-shaped icon.

   2. Select a variable from the list. 

      

      At run time, the value of the variable is substituted.

3. Set any other properties of the component.

   Common

   Font

   Font settings modify the visual appearance of text. Change the font face and size. Apply bold, italics, or underlining in any combination. Justify the alignment of text within a surrounding container.

   Item	Description
   	Displays a list of fonts to choose from. Then sets all text in the control to the typeface selected.
   	Sets font size to the number of points you select.
   	Applies bold font weight to text in the component.
   	Applies italic font style to text in the component.
   	Underlines text in the component.
   	Left justifies the component relative to its parent container.
   	Centers the component relative to its parent container.
   	Right justifies the component relative to its parent container.

   Color

   Sets text color to one of the following:

   Default—Assigns the default color. Color—allows you to select from a palette of common colors, or choose your own by entering RGB values or by moving the color picker to a new spectrum position. Setting the color for text and background is a property in the Appearance panel. This property panel is only available for components that have the color functionality. Click Choose to assign the current selection. Variable—assigns a color stored in a string variable. For example, to assign dark blue: Click the Variables tab. Click + to add a variable. Select String as the type of value the new variable stores. Type a descriptive name in the Name box. Set Default Value to 0000FF or #0000FF—which is the hexadecimal code for dark blue. Click Apply. Assign the variable to this color property.

   Text

   Several components have a Text property that you can change, usually by double-clicking the component in design mode:

   • Button—double-click to rename "Submit" to something else.

   • Radio button or Checkbox—double-click to change "Label" to a more descriptive name.

   • Read-only text—to change the text displayed in a read-only text component, click the component, then type text in the box.

   Layout

   Width

   Configures width to a fixed size, to grow as needed to display content, or to consume as much space as possible relative to other components, using weighting to influence size adjustments.

   Setting	Description
   	Auto-sizing configures the component to shrink or grow in accordance with its contents. For example, the width of a label can grow depending up on how much text it contains.
   	Stretch allows a component to consume as much space as possible relative to other components, using weighting to influence size adjustments. If two components are both set to stretch, they are both allocated 50% of the remaining space by default. This proportion can be adjusted by changing the weight value. For example, if you set one component to a weight of 200, and the other to a weight of 100, then the first component occupies two thirds of the remaining space, while the other only takes one third. The first component appears twice the size of the other component, since its weight was two times the second component's weight.
   	Sets a fixed size in pixels. You can type an integer value into the box, or use up or down arrows to increment or decrement size. These arrows are visible when the component has focus.

   Height

   Configures height to a fixed size, to grow as needed to display content, or to consume as much space as possible relative to other components, using weighting to influence size adjustments.

   Setting	Description
   	Auto-sizing configures the component to shrink or grow in accordance with its contents.
   	Sets a fixed size in pixels. You can type an integer value into the box, or use up or down arrows to increment or decrement size. These arrows are visible when the component has focus.
   	Stretch allows a component to consume as much space as possible relative to other components, using weighting to influence size adjustments. If two components are both set to stretch, they are both allocated 50% of the remaining space by default. This proportion can be adjusted by changing the weight value. For example, if you set one component to a weight of 200, and the other to a weight of 100, then the first component occupies two thirds of the remaining space, while the other only takes one third. The first component appears twice the size of the other component, since its weight was two times the second component's weight.

   Align

   Aligns a component to the left, right, or center, relative to its parent container.

   Tip: A component cannot be vertically aligned to center if the Height setting of its parent container is Auto Sizing. To correct this, set the parent container's Height to Stretch or to a fixed height in Pixels.

   Setting	Example

   Margin

   Margins set left, right, top, and bottom spacing around a border.

   

   1. To optionally update all margin values at once, press the Set All button for Margin in the properties panel.

      

   2. Click the value field for a margin. A spin control appears in that field.

   3. Use the spin control to increase or decrease the margin. If Set All was selected, the change is applied to all margins.

      

      The component is immediately repositioned using its new margin setting.

   Visible

   Sets the visibility of a component based on the value of a Boolean (True or False) variable.

   1. Click the Layout property group. Below Visible, click Select Variable.
   2. Select a variable, or optionally create a new Yes/No variable and then assign that new variable to the Visible property.
   3. At runtime, the component is visible when the value of the variable is True. Conversely it is hidden when the variable's value is False.

   Appearance
   

   Font

   Font settings modify the visual appearance of text. Change the font face and size. Apply bold, italics, or underlining in any combination. Justify the alignment of text within a surrounding container.

   Item	Description
   	Displays a list of fonts to choose from. Then sets all text in the control to the typeface selected.
   	Sets font size to the number of points you select.
   	Applies bold font weight to text in the component.
   	Applies italic font style to text in the component.
   	Underlines text in the component.
   	Left justifies the component relative to its parent container.
   	Centers the component relative to its parent container.
   	Right justifies the component relative to its parent container.

   Color

   Sets text color to one of the following:

   Default—Assigns the default color. Color—allows you to select from a palette of common colors, or choose your own by entering RGB values or by moving the color picker to a new spectrum position. Setting the color for text and background is a property in the Appearance panel. This property panel is only available for components that have the color functionality. Click Choose to assign the current selection. Variable—assigns a color stored in a string variable. For example, to assign dark blue: Click the Variables tab. Click + to add a variable. Select String as the type of value the new variable stores. Type a descriptive name in the Name box. Set Default Value to 0000FF or #0000FF—which is the hexadecimal code for dark blue. Click Apply. Assign the variable to this color property.

   Note: To format parts of your script’s text differently, see the Markdown script component.