Assigning complex command to a button using MEL

[trickyr]

I want to assign a complex command to a button created in my GUI:
The command needs to perform several loops and conditional statements, how do I achieve this within the button string without calling another procedure?
I have tried enclosing the whole lot as a single string i.e just putting in brackets and inverted commas but this doesn't seem to work (perhaps not very surprisingly!). The MEL Manual is lacking in any info about buttons, it merely says a string must be used.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Tricky

[gdc]

It's really a whole lot easier to call another proc, but if you really don't want to this might help....

// --------------------------begin
button -label "Press Me"
-command
"float $Foo[]={0,1,2,3,4};
float $Rotate[]={90.0, 45, 36};
print ("------------------------------n");
for ($t=0;$t {
if ($Foo[$t] == 1)
{
print (" I'm ONE");
}
}
print ("n");
print ($Rotate[1]+" "+$Rotate[2]+" n");
print ("------------------------------------------------n");";

//--------------------------------------end

With all of the extra escaping you have to do it gets very confusing.
Hope that helps
--g

[gmask]

BTW Why is it that you don't wish to call a procedure??

[trickyr]

Thanx for the help,
My net connection went down last night (thanks Bristol Uni ) so I've just got these, I have now decided to use a procedure as I need to reuse it for several buttons. Originally I was trying not to so that .... actually I can't think of a good reason, you know what happens when you get your mind fixed on something and you've been working on one part of your dissertation too long!!
Thanx again for the help,
Tricky

[spamkill]

This is related so I'll just post under this topic. Is it possible to read the -command line from a shelf.mel file into a string ($SK_ShortCommand in the example below)and have a button execute it? I can read it in, but all the stuff that needs special escape characters seems to keep it from working. How come it works within the shelf buttons, but not when applied to a button in a user created UI? Simple commands work fine, but anything complicated just won't work. Currently I'm using iconTextButton, but I tried shelfButton with the same (non)results.

iconTextButton -style "iconOnly" -w 36 -h 34 -image1 $SK_ImageFileName -iol $SK_IconName -command $SK_ShortCommand;

-Spamkill

[jeffd]

Don't be resistant to using procedures. They are beneficial in many ways. All of my MEL development is done in procedures for a couple reasons.

First, it is much easier to develop MEL scripts as a procedure. Encapsulating what you want to do within a couple lines of code is small price to pay to be able iterate using the source command. It is almost always better to have source catch errors before letting the script run halfway and then blow up.

Working in procedures keeps your variables local to the procedure. If you simply declare a variable in the script window, the variable is created as a global and is permanent. Inevitably, you will find yourself changing the type of a variable and it is a pain to rename every instance of it. The only way to change the type of a global variable is to restart Maya. Also local variables prevent conflict. How many scripts do you think use the variable "$selected."

Also, if the script is going on a button, it is much easier to assign a command like myScriptedProcedure; to a button than 30 lines of MEL. Much easier to update if a change is needed also.

--JeffD