How to update ui::RichText’s string content after creation?

[antn9x]

I’d like to change my RichText’s content from "abc", to "def", but it’s not clear how. There’s no setString equivalent, and the closest is just calling initWithXML, but that comes with its own issues since the old renderer nodes are still present.

auto rich_text = cocos2d::ui::RichText::createWithXML("abc");
rich_text->setString("def"); //setString doesn't exist
rich_text->initWithXML("def"); //incorrectly renders both 'abc' and 'def' next to each other

[rh101]

It doesn't work that way. RichText is a container for the different elements that are used to construct it, such as ui::RichElementText, which is the one that handles the text. The only way is to re-create the entire RichText.

If you are not dealing with formatted text (with XML tags) or embedded graphics, then ui::Label is the better option, which does allow string updates.

EDIT: Sorry, I totally missed the point of the post. The specific issue is that it's not clearing the contents, but appending the new text to the existing contents; it wasn't about setting a string as ui::Label does.

[aismann]

As @rh101 has written:

The only way is to re-create the entire RichText.

You can try re-create with: (removeChild() and addChild())

rich_text = ax::ui::RichText::createWithXML("abc");
_widget->addChild(rich_text);
[...lot of code...]

_widget->removeChild(rich_text);
rich_text = ax::ui::RichText::createWithXML("def");
_widget->addChild(rich_text);

[antn9x]

I don't know why there was no implement for setString method, i think it posible and easy for update richtext string.

[rh101]

Once again, it doesn't work the way you may think it does. The RichText can be made up of many text elements, so how would the RichText know which one it needs to update? If you have a simple string, then use ui::Label, because that will allow you to update the string, since there is only one in there.

Have a look at the code for RichText, and it will make sense as to why that is not possible.

The only way to really fix this is to introduce both initWithPlainText and setPlainText methods which would only allow a single RichElementText element to be constructed (so no XML formatted text). The way it would work is any time setPlainText is called, it would simply delete the entire element list, and then add a new RichElementText into it. This can be made more efficient if it checks how many elements are inside the list, so if only one exists, and is of type RichElementText, then it would simply update it. RichElementText would also need to be modified to allow for this, because it currently does not support this. Re-using current elements cannot be done, because newline characters are their own elements, so the entire element list will need to be cleared and recreated.

EDIT: initWithXML may have a bug in it if it is not overwriting the current XML formatted RichText, so I'll look into that too, but the issue is that the current behaviour may be as expected, so that will be a separate PR to the other changes in case it's not desired behaviour. @antn9x has a better option for fixing this by introducing the removeAllElements() method.

EDIT: I totally misunderstood the initial issue. It's just a matter of clearing the current contents and re-initializing with the new XML string.

[antn9x]

Of course I use Rich Text because of XML formatted text.

[rh101]

Then the main issue is that initWithXML is not over-writing the current contents, correct?

[aismann]

Then the main issue is that initWithXML is not over-writing the current contents, correct?

Another question is: What is the reason for method initWithXML ?
I belive "update/replace' isn't it

[rh101]

Then the main issue is that initWithXML is not over-writing the current contents, correct?

Another question is: What is the reason for method initWithXML ? I belive "update/replace' isn't it

Well, it's technically initializing the RichText, not updating it, so the method name is not incorrect. Using "replace" wouldn't make sense, and "update" would only make sense if the current RichText contents are cleared (which is not the case at the moment).

[antn9x]

I created PR for this isssue. Can you help to merge?
Then I can do like this:

    richText->removeAllElements();
    richText->initWithXML(myNewXML);

[rh101]

That's a good change, since it does not affect current behaviour of RichText, and gives the developer the option to clear it before calling initWithXML.

[aismann]

Is this not the better/same way?

rich_text = ax::ui::RichText::createWithXML("abc");
_widget->addChild(rich_text);
[...lot of code...]

_widget->removeChild(rich_text);
rich_text = ax::ui::RichText::createWithXML("def");
_widget->addChild(rich_text);

and initWithXML is the 'same' as createWithXML

[rh101]

That would mean you're freeing the current memory associated with the RichText, and recreating another one, then re-adding it to the scene, which is more processing. By using removeAllElements, it would mean no need for the extra overhead of removing and re-adding to the parent node, and less memory release/new calls.

and initWithXML is the 'same' as createWithXML

Not sure what you mean. createWithXML creates a new instance of RichText, but initWithXML sets up the contents of the RichText, which are two very different functions.

[halx99]

Will implement a setString for RichText

[halx99]

I already test on my local machine:

The update code looks like:

[halx99]

Done with commit: a4e75d4