Need help - New programmer

smart_user

@sdetweil Hello. I did and still am not receiving any alert on the screen

sdetweil

@smart_user show me the config block. Minimum is this. MUST have a position

{
     module:"SampleModule",
     position:"middle",
 },

A Former User

euh … position needed ONLY if you have to show something on the mirror (getDom).
If you have nothing to show THEN position is not needed

Note: verified in my lasted module (position is not needed because no visual)

sdetweil

@Bugsounet yes, my sample module DOES want to display something

smart_user

@sdetweil Yes! I missed adding the position to the config file. Just have another clarification. Can these messages show up for a few seconds then disappear and then appear again after 30 minutes? If so, how do I do that?

sdetweil

@smart_user sure. When u want the message to go away, set the string to empty, or not create any content in getDom()…

U would start a timer after u display the text, and the call updateDom() in the timer routine.

Wait, display. Wait. Remove output
Repeat

innovation

@sdetweil Hello, I am facing the same problem - and I want the same feature @smart_user mentioned. But I am sorry, I didn’t get the timer part. Which string are you talking about? and where will I add the updateDom()? Please help

sdetweil

@innovation i have my grandson for a few hours will get back to you

innovation

sure @sdetweil, no problem!

sdetweil

@innovation the ‘string’ is the value used in the getDom() function to create the html content

somestring:“this is just a test string”,
counter: 0,

getDom(){
   var wrapper=createElement("div")
   wrapper.innerText=this.somestring
   return wrapper;
}

there is no stopping the module, it MUST always be running… so, if u want to change the string,
you can start a timer, and when the timer expires, call a routine that does the work.

timerRoutine: function(){
     this.somestring="some other string"
}

but how does MM know u changed the value?
u tell MM there is new content…

timerRoutine: function(){
     this.somestring="some other string "+ this.counter++;
     this.updateDom(time_to_delay_in_ms, 0 = immediately)
}

now we need to start a timer… lets say, 15 seconds after we do it in getDom, lets change the text

getDom(){
   var wrapper=createElement("div')
   wrapper.innerText=this.somestring  // use the value of the somestring variable to display
  setTimeout(this.timerRoutine, 15000)   // call the timerRoutine in 15000 milliseconds
   return wrapper;
   // after here , MM will put the html tree defined in wrapper,
   // in the 'position' the module  defined in config.js
}

another way is to use the repeating timer, instead of the single event version

start: {
    // now the timerRoutine will be called every 15 seconds, forever
    // it will change the string, and then inform MM to call to get new content
    setInterval(this.timerRoutine,15000) //  start a repeating timer  every 15 seconds
},

getDom(){
   var wrapper=createElement("div')
   wrapper.innerText=this.somestring  // use the value of the somestring variable to display
   return wrapper;
}

you can do this same updateDom() call after receiving a message back from your node helper with new content.
(my sample module does this)