# Popups dialog

Many resources listed within the visu resource panels can be entered in either of two ways: either by typing the value directly into a text field provided for the purpose, or by selecting a value from a secondary dialog. In the latter case, the resource name in the primary panel is typically a button which when pressed pops up the secondary dialog.

If you want to allow secondary dialog data entry for a configured user-defined widget, you need to specify the name of a function which will create this secondary dialog when required - when the resource button in the primary panel is pressed. You will also need to specify an initialise and update function to populate the dialog in context.

In visu, a set of convenient secondary dialogs for standard resource types is made available to you. These are presented in create-function form in the Popups list. Simply select an item from the list if a built-in secondary panel will handle the data entry for the given resource type for you.

Alternatively, you can use the Dialog create, initialize, and update fields to specify new secondary dialog functions if the built-in dialogs do not provide the functionality you require.

The create field specifies a function to be called when the resource button is pressed for the first time; it should simply create the dialog structure.

The initialize function will be called every time the user presses the resource button, and should populate the dialog with data.

The update function is optional; if specified, it will be called every time the user selects a new widget.

The update and delete buttons are for adding or removing new secondary dialogs from the initial list of built-in secondary dialogs.

The WorkShop Visual User Guide fully specifies the format required of these functions, and you are referred to this manual if you need to add a specialised secondary resource selection panel.

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