new FXToolTip(getApp());

Through the magic of FOX's GUI update process, this tool tip object (which in itself is just a little window) will notice when the mouse pointer hovers over a widget for a short period of time. The tool tip will then "ask" that widget for its tool tip text, and show itself with that text. When you move the mouse again (or when the tool tip times out) it will hide itself again.

For most widgets, you set the tool tip text once, either at widget construction time, e.g.

new FXButton(p, "Button Text\tToolTip text", ...);

or by using that widget's setTipText() member function, e.g.

button->setTipText("the tooltip text");

Tooltip Modes

The normal tooltip mode is to popup for a certain amount time and then disappear. The amount of time it stays up can be set with:

getApp()->setTooltipTime(num_milliseconds);

There is normally also a slight delay before showing the tooltip (in case the mouse is moved to another widget). This delay can be set with:

getApp()->setTooltipPause(num_milliseconds);

Besides the normal tooltip mode, there are two additional modes available:

• TOOLTIP_PERMANENT - leaves the tooltip visible until the mouse is moved again.
• TOOLTIP_VARIABLE - shows the tooltip for a certain amount of time based on the length of the tip text. The longer the text, the longer it stays up.

These can be set as additional parameter in the tooltip constructor (by default the TOOLTIP_NORMAL mode is set):

new FXToolTip(getApp(),TOOLTIP_PERMANENT);

Adding Tooltips to Widgets

FXDEFMAP(FXWidget) FXWidgetMap[]={
  FXMAPFUNC(SEL_QUERY_TIP,0,FXWidget::onQueryTip),
  };

// We were asked about tip text
long FXWidget::onQueryTip(FXObject* sender,FXSelector sel,void* ptr){
  FXString tip="Hello World";
  if(FXWidgetBase::onQueryTip(sender,sel,ptr)) return 1;
  if((flags&FLAG_TIP) && !tip.empty()){
    sender->handle(this,FXSEL(SEL_COMMAND,ID_SETSTRINGVALUE),(void*)&tip);
    return 1;
    }
  return 0;
  }