EssentialDialog 2.0 review

EssentialDialog is a window/module combination for use with REALbasic 5.

License: Demo OS: Mac OS X File size: 532K Developer: American Dream Partnership Buy Now Price: $5.00 Updated: 29 Dec 2005

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EssentialDialog is a window/module combination for use with REALbasic 5.5 and above. With a single line of code, you can create a dialog box with the icon, text, and buttons of your choice. The dialog implements REALbasic's MessageDialog class, but it's much faster and easier to implement, and adds the advantage of Mac OS X sheet support. Like most software, you could code something similar yourself, but consider whether saving yourself some time is worth five bucks. :-)

The main advantage is the pure convenience of using EssentialDialog. Just type this — EDCaution("This is a dialog","OK") — to put up a dialog with a caution icon, the text “This is a dialog,” and an “OK” button. Need to know which button was clicked? Just check EDResult for the text of the last button clicked. It is that easy! Of course, EssentialDialog contains more advanced features, and can grow as your experience and needs grow.

Here are some key features of "EssentialDialog":
Can be implemented with a single line of code. No multiple setup calls to display a simple dialog.
Returns plain English values. EssentialDialog returns the text of the button clicked, so it’s easy to track and code the dialog’s result.
Compiles to Mac OS Classic, Mac OS X, and Windows, with identical functionality between platforms (sheet display requires Mac OS X).
Sample project demonstrates many of EssentialDialog’s features.
Button keyboard shortcuts may be assigned manually, or let EssentialDialog assign them automatically, based on the button's caption.
Demonstration mode is fully functional both in IDE and built applications.
Excellent, illustrated documentation in PDF format.
Requires no plugins; built with pure RB code.
Choice of several alert icons.
Return values (string format) are persistent and globally available.
Between zero and three buttons may be specified; if zero buttons are specified, EssentialDialog defaults to a single “OK” button.
Register EssentialDialog with a single line of code per project.
Obtain registration code within minutes of purchase.
Supports Mac OS X sheets in Carbon builds.

Requirements:
RealBasic 5.5 or later.