what is needed to create this addon...

[deapee]

First, excuse me as I'm writing on my phone so I'll have to be brief.

That said, I want to create a window (I have managed to do this with create frame).

This window I created is moveable...

I want to be able to add text to it, or more specifically lines of text that will cause the window to grow or shrink as needed.

--

I can't even get text to show up on my frame. I was able to get a button centered on it.

--

Also, can this functionality be done solely in lua, or should I be looking at XML as well?

Thanks

[Tim]

Making frames draggable
- http://www.wowpedia.com/Making_draggable_frames

Creating text/Setting fonts
- http://www.wowwiki.com/API_Frame_CreateFontString
- http://www.wowpedia.org/API_FontInstance_SetFont

[deapee]

Thanks.

So you think that the best way to add an ever-changing amount of text lines to a window would be simply by sending text directly to that frame?

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I am actually doing ok now, I can set font to the frame. Should I make frames that are the main frame's child and set font to that?

I mean I'd be ok with having like 5 maximum things displayed at any time.

--

IE

this is the MAIN frame
-------------------------
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
-------------------------

-------------------------
| | CHILD FRAME | |
| |
| | CHILD FRAME | |
| |
| | CHILD FRAME | |
| |
| | CHILD FRAME | |
| |
-------------------------

Or just output text directly to the main frame? I see how to create a new line with \n but How could I add and subtract dynamically changing items to that?

--

I think I'm going to just give up.

--

Of course the forums delete the spaces

[Duugu]

Well, what exactly are you trying to do? Would you simply like to show a text with multiple rows (like a tooltip), or would you like to have independent text parts that could be shown, hide, moved, sized, whatever indepentently (like the item list in the action window)?

[Phanx]

The only thing you can't do in Lua is create a template, but the only thing you need templates for are certain uncommon cases involving very advanced secure frames (unitframe/actionbutton) usage, so chances are you will never want to do anything that can't be done in Lua.

Here's a simple example of creating a movable frame with a title, a button, and font string, and resizing the frame based on the contents of the font string:

-- Give your main object a global name so you can access it more easily for debugging:
local frame = CreateFrame("Frame", "MyTestFrame", UIParent)

-- Put the frame in the middle of the screen:
frame:SetPoint("BOTTOM", UIParent, "CENTER", 0, 100)

-- Give it a starting size:
frame:SetSize(500, 200)

-- Give it a backdrop so you can see it:
frame:SetBackdrop({
     bgFile = [[Interface\Tooltips\UI-Tooltip-Background]], tile = true, tileSize = 16,
     edgeFile = [[Interface\Tooltips\UI-Tooltip-Border]], edgeSize = 5,
     insets = { left = 5, right = 5, top = 5, bottom = 5 },
})
frame:SetBackdropColor(0, 0, 0)
frame:SetBackdropBorderColor(1, 1, 1)

-- Add a title:
local title = frame:CreateFontString(nil, "OVERLAY", "GameFontNormal")
title:SetPoint("TOP", 0, -2)
title:SetText("My Test Frame")
-- Make it easy to access:
frame.Title = title

-- Make it draggable by the title:
local titleRegion = frame:CreateTitleRegion()
titleRegion:SetPoint("BOTTOMLEFT", title, -5, -2)
titleRegion:SetPoint("TOPRIGHT", title, 5, 2)
frame.TitleRegion = titleRegion

-- Add a button at the bottom. Use the pre-defined template for the "red button" style:
local button = CreateFrame("Button", "$parentOkayButton", frame, "UIPanelButtonTemplate")
button:SetPoint("BOTTOM", 0, 16)
button:SetText(OKAY) -- Use a pre-defined global string so it's "correct" in all WoW languages.
-- Make it close the frame when clicked:
button:SetScript("OnClick", function(self) self:GetParent():Hide() end)
frame.OkayButton = button

-- Add a font string in the middle:
local text = frame:CreateFontString(nil, "OVERLAY", "GameFontHighlightSmall")
text:SetPoint("LEFT", 16, 0)
text:SetPoint("RIGHT", -16, 0)
text:SetPoint("TOP", title, "BOTTOM", 0, -16)
text:SetPoint("BOTTOM", button, "TOP", 0, 16)
text:SetJustifyH("CENTER")
text:SetJustifyV("TOP")
frame.Text = text

-- Frames don't normally have a SetText method, but we'll add one that sets the
-- text of the frame's font string, and adjusts the size of the frame to match.
function frame:SetText(text)
     -- Set the text of the font string:
     self.Text:SetText(text)
     -- Find out how long the text is:
     local width = self.Text:GetStringWidth()
    -- Make sure it's at least as wide as the title and button:
    local titleWidth = self.Title:GetWidth()
    local buttonWidth = self.Button:GetWidth()
    width = math.max(width, titleWidth, buttonWidth)
     -- And adjust the width of the frame, accounting for the inner padding:
     self:SetWidth(width + 32)
end

-- Then use it like this:
frame:SetText("This is my test frame! It has some text in it!")

-- Try a longer font string:
frame:SetText("Here is a long string. It doesn't really say anything. It's just long, so you can see how the frame gets bigger.")

-- And a shorter one:
frame:SetText("It's so short!")

For a more complete example of a frame with multiple rows of text, that shows a maximum of X lines at once and scrolls to show the rest, see here:

http://forums.wowace.com/showthread.php?p=320619