Set variable to current dimstyle?

Is there a way to set a variable to be equal to the current dimstyle? I
have a few routines that change to a preset dimstyle and I would like to be
able to reset the current dimstyle when the routine is finished as well as
include that in the error handling. Thanks.

John

 

(setq oldstyle(getvar "dimstyle")
(setvar "dimstyle" whatever)
Then at the end (setvar "dimstyle" oldstyle).

 

(setq curdimstyle (getvar "DIMSTYLE"))
(command "DIMSTYLE" "R" <your-other-style>)
....<do your thing>...
(command "DIMSTYLE" "R" curdimstyle)

Help says you can't use (setvar) to change DIMSTYLE -- as a system variable
it's read-only. But it's also a command -- you have to use that route to
change it, or change it back.

Kent Cooper, AIA


...

 

Whoops...

DIMSTYLE is a dialog-box command, so it should be:

(setq curdimstyle (getvar "DIMSTYLE"))
(command "-DIMSTYLE" "R" <your-other-style>)
....<do your thing>...
(command "-DIMSTYLE" "R" curdimstyle)

Kent Cooper, AIA


...

 

Sorry for jumping the gun on it.........I guess I just assumed that since it is a system variable, it could be treated as such. Thanks for keeping me straight.

 

Kent, I have tried just that and I get an error. Is it because the (getvar
"DIMSTYLE") returns a text value? If I type (setq curdimstyle (getvar
"DIMSTYLE")) in the command line and press enter and then type (getvar
"curdimstyle") the reply is nil.

John

 

Kent,
I got it to work now. Thank you for your help.

John

 

When you do:
(setq curdimstyle (getvar "dimstyle"))
You are assigning a 'new' symbol (variable) the 'value' of the current dimstyle. The 'curdimstyle' is NOT a 'system' variable, like the "DIMSTYLE" is. It is just a variable name. You CAN, however do:
(setq curdimstyle (getvar "DIMSTYLE"))
(command "-DIMSTYLE" "R" <your-other-style>)
...<do your thing>...
(command "-DIMSTYLE" "R" curdimstyle)
As Kent suggested.

Bob

 

If I type (setq curdimstyle (getvar

that's because there is no system variable named "curdimstyle"

if you type !curdimstyle you should see the value you stored in the variable
'curdimstyle'
or (eval curdimstyle)

 

Thanks for the explanation. I've got lots to learn!

John

 

Thanks!

dimstyle. The 'curdimstyle' is NOT a 'system' variable, like the "DIMSTYLE"
is. It is just a variable name. You CAN, however do:

 

The nil reply is because "curdimstyle" is not a system variable, so you
can't "getvar" it. There are other ways to read the value of something you
have set. You should be able, after doing (setq curdimstyle (getvar
"DIMSTYLE")), to type in !curdimstyle and it should feed back the name of
whatever was in the DIMSTYLE system variable.

As to any other errors, it might depend on how you are using this. If it's
in a pull-down or screen or tablet menu item, then you need to format it
appropriately, which doesn't even need the (command) function (though you
can keep it that way if you want):

....<whatever comes before>...+
(setq curdimstyle (getvar "DIMSTYLE")) +
-DIMSTYLE R <your-other-style> +
....<do your thing>...+
-DIMSTYLE R !curdimstyle+
....<anything else>...

If you keep the DIMSTYLE commands inside a (command) function, you need the
quotation marks around stuff, including the <your-other-style> text if
that's not a saved quantity. But you don't want the exclamation point in
the last line -- it evaluates that quantity without it in those
circumstances.

Using it all as first presented, without plus signs, and requiring the
(command) functions instead of the macro-type format, is appropriate for
inside a defun item, and maybe some other things.

I hope that helps.

Kent Cooper, AIA


...

 

Kent,
Thank you for the explanation. I was indeed trying to use getvar as a
quick test of what I had. I also found a step that I had missed and
corrected that. Once I did (or stopped, in the case of trying getvar) those
few things, the routine works just fine.
I really appreciate all of the help.

John