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Build 881
Hands-on tutorial · Media & graphics

Display a compact status badge

Communicate a small status without relying on color alone.

1 Form / control designs1 complete BASIC filesGuided sample project

A badge is a compact summary, not the only explanation of an important condition. Use a meaningful caption and nearby context. If the status changes, update the accessible description as well as its visual treatment when applicable.

Step 1Prepare a safe practice project#

Extract the archive into a new writable folder, separate from your own application. Open Badge.mcbproj in McBasic™. Keep every declared source, layout, resource and migration file together.

To reconstruct it yourself, create a DesktopApp project and add the files declared below. In the complete project, follow these steps as a guided rebuild: replace each named source file once and Check after all its procedures are present.

Exact project configuration
project.mcproj
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "projectId": "4c21f2cc-7a5a-4a8e-8ad9-84514bc7b91e",
  "name": "BadgeSample",
  "kind": "DesktopApp",
  "ai": {
    "storeChatsInProject": false
  },
  "language": {
    "dialect": "McBasic1",
    "requireExplicit": true,
    "compare": "Binary",
    "defaultArrayBase": 0
  },
  "application": {
    "bundleIdentifier": "com.mcbasic.samples.badge",
    "version": "0.1.0",
    "buildNumber": "1",
    "startupFormId": "form-main",
    "shutdownMode": "OnStartupFormClosed"
  },
  "forms": [
    {
      "id": "form-main",
      "typeName": "frmMain",
      "layout": "Forms/frmMain.form.json",
      "code": "Forms/frmMain.bas"
    }
  ],
  "modules": [],
  "classes": [],
  "tests": [],
  "references": [],
  "resources": [],
  "targets": [
    "osx-arm64"
  ],
  "capabilities": []
}

Step 2Build the Form and set its properties#

frmMain

Select the Form first and set its properties. Add containers before their children. These are initial Designer values, not statements to paste into a procedure.

Form propertyValue
Caption"Badge — McBasic"
Width520
Height260
MinWidth420
MinHeight220
TypeNameParent
BadgebdgStatusForm
LabellblHelpForm
bdgStatus · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top64
Width180
Height32
Caption"Ready"
Variant"Success"
TabIndex0
Anchor edgesLeft, Top
lblHelp · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top120
Width400
Height32
Caption"Badge is a McBasic-owned control."
Anchor edgesLeft, Top

Step 3Connect the events explicitly#

frmMain

ObjectEventProcedureParameters
FormLoadForm_Load()

Step 4Enter the complete behavior#

Open the named source file. Enter declarations first, then every procedure. Expand a procedure for its full body, or copy the complete file. Helpers are required: do not stop after entering the first Click handler.

Forms/frmMain.bas

Enter these declarations at file scope, before the procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · declarations
Option Explicit
Private Sub Form_Load()

Initialize state before enabling dependent actions. Keep the shared declarations and startup dependencies with this procedure.

Forms/frmMain.bas · Form_Load
Private Sub Form_Load()
    bdgStatus.Caption = "Ready"
    bdgStatus.Variant = "Success"
    lblHelp.Caption = "Badge is a McBasic-owned control."
End Sub
Copy the complete Forms/frmMain.bas file

Replace the file once; do not append duplicate procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas
Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()
    bdgStatus.Caption = "Ready"
    bdgStatus.Variant = "Success"
    lblHelp.Caption = "Badge is a McBasic-owned control."
End Sub

Step 5Keep resources and storage reproducible#

No external resource or migration files are declared. Any inline migration, seed data or local JSON is present in the code above. Runtime application data and private preferences are not included in the archive.

Step 6Check, run and test the result#

Save all files and run Check. Resolve diagnostics before Run. Developer CLI users can work from the extracted folder:

Developer CLI
mcbasic check Badge.mcbproj
mcbasic run Badge.mcbproj

Acceptance checklist

  • Inspect the initial badge text.
  • Change the caption and run again.
  • Check readability against its background.

Step 7Make one change and repeat the tests#

Add a second status with text that remains meaningful without color.

Save a working Git checkpoint first. Change one behavior, Check again and repeat the acceptance checklist. Compare with the downloaded solution if a regression appears.

Source baseline 20f4bfed6b · Build manifest