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Build 881
Hands-on tutorial · Input & events

Handle a password field

React to password changes without exposing the value in diagnostics.

1 Form / control designs1 complete BASIC filesGuided sample project

Use the password control for concealed entry, but do not mistake visual concealment for encryption. Keep secrets out of labels, log messages and screenshots. The sample demonstrates the control’s events; production authentication belongs behind a separately designed security boundary.

Step 1Prepare a safe practice project#

Extract the archive into a new writable folder, separate from your own application. Open PasswordBox.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": "8b4afcb0-8d3a-4b24-8ee8-4d0edb8d2a64",
  "name": "PasswordBoxSample",
  "kind": "DesktopApp",
  "ai": {
    "storeChatsInProject": false
  },
  "language": {
    "dialect": "McBasic1",
    "requireExplicit": true,
    "compare": "Binary",
    "defaultArrayBase": 0
  },
  "application": {
    "bundleIdentifier": "com.mcbasic.samples.passwordbox",
    "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"PasswordBox — McBasic"
Width560
Height280
MinWidth440
MinHeight220
TypeNameParent
PasswordBoxpwdSecretForm
LabellblStatusForm
CommandButtoncmdCloseForm
pwdSecret · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top72
Width360
Height32
Text""
ReadOnlyFalse
RequiredTrue
TabIndex0
Anchor edgesLeft, Top
lblStatus · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top128
Width440
Height36
Caption"Password is required."
Anchor edgesLeft, Top
cmdClose · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top192
Width140
Height36
Caption"Close"
TabIndex1
Anchor edgesLeft, Top

Step 3Connect the events explicitly#

frmMain

ObjectEventProcedureParameters
pwdSecretChangepwdSecret_ChangeChange()
cmdCloseClickcmdClose_ClickClick()
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()
    pwdSecret.ReadOnly = False
    lblStatus.Caption = pwdSecret.ValidationError
End Sub
Private Sub pwdSecret_Change()

Read the current value or selection and update its dependent interface. The binding above determines which object calls this handler.

Forms/frmMain.bas · pwdSecret_Change
Private Sub pwdSecret_Change()
    ' The value is deliberately never copied into a visible label.
    If pwdSecret.IsValid Then
        lblStatus.Caption = "Password entered."
    Else
        lblStatus.Caption = pwdSecret.ValidationError
    End If
End Sub
Private Sub cmdClose_Click()

Enter the complete action, including its input checks and calls to helper procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · cmdClose_Click
Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
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()
    pwdSecret.ReadOnly = False
    lblStatus.Caption = pwdSecret.ValidationError
End Sub

Private Sub pwdSecret_Change()
    ' The value is deliberately never copied into a visible label.
    If pwdSecret.IsValid Then
        lblStatus.Caption = "Password entered."
    Else
        lblStatus.Caption = pwdSecret.ValidationError
    End If
End Sub

Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
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 PasswordBox.mcbproj
mcbasic run PasswordBox.mcbproj

Acceptance checklist

  • Type a value and observe concealment.
  • Clear the value and check the change feedback.
  • Navigate to and away from the field using the keyboard.

Step 7Make one change and repeat the tests#

Change feedback to report only whether a value is present, never the value itself.

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