2011

The result is that the appropriate pull-down menu is displayed and updated
whenever the current layer changes.
Current Layer: BASE
You can also use this method to interactively change the text displayed in a
pull-down menu. You use an AutoLISP routine that sets the USERS1-5 system
variables to the selected text, which can be retrieved by a DIESEL macro in a
menu label.
NOTE The width of pull-down and shortcut menus is determined when the
customization file is being loaded. Menu labels generated or changed by DIESEL
expressions after a menu is loaded are truncated to fit within the existing menu
width.
If you anticipate that a DIESEL-generated menu label will be too wide, you
can use the following example to ensure that the menu width will
accommodate your labels. This example displays the first 10 characters of the
current value of the USERS3 (USERS1-5) system variable.
$(eval,"Current value: " $(getvar,users3))+
$(if, $(eq,$(getvar,users3),""), 10 spaces )^C^Cusers3
You cannot use trailing spaces in a menu label to increase the menu width,
because trailing spaces are ignored while the menu is being loaded. Any spaces
you use to increase the width of a menu label must be within a DIESEL
expression.
The next example uses the same DIESEL expression as the label and a portion
of the menu item. It provides a practical way to enter the current day and
date into a drawing.
$(edtime,$(getvar,date),DDD", "D MON YYYY)^C^Ctext +
\\\ $M=$(edtime,$(getvar,date),DDD", "D MON YYYY);
Also, you can use a DIESEL macro to mark pull-down menu labels or make
them unavailable. The following pull-down menu label displays an unavailable
ERASE while a command is active. The text is displayed normally when a
command is not active.
$(if,$(getvar,cmdactive),~)ERASE
You can use a similar approach to place a mark beside a pull-down menu item
or to interactively change the character used for the mark.
74 | Chapter 5 DIESEL