Setting a macro condition to see if a reference exists?

[Renerabbitt]

I have a condition where I want a variable to report a referenced layer name, but if no reference exists, report its own layer name.
Any help is greatly appreciated

[Chopsaw]

I think it was Joe that originally posted this method.

 

referenced ? obj = referenced : obj = owner

obj.layer

 

Does that do what you are after set to "None" and "Evaluate" ?

 

[Joe_Carrick]

10 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

I have a condition where I want a variable to report a referenced layer name, but if no reference exists, report its own layer name.
Any help is greatly appreciated

What do you mean by referenced?  Do you mean the note or text is connected to an object with an arrow?  if so, try this:

• referenced ? obj=referenced : obj=owner
• obj.layer.to_s

If there's no connection it will return the layer of the text or note as a text string.

[Renerabbitt]

1 minute ago, solver said:

Maybe a bit more info about what you are doing would help.

An old habit, I have to make a post and then go back and re-edit it(the way my brain works) but you guys beat me to it.
I have a text box with a macro. I want that macro to report the value for a layer of a reference object via a leader. If no leader exists, then I would like it to report the layer of the text box that it is contained in.
 

 

4 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said:

If there's no connection it will return the layer of the text or note as a text string.

This method works...but why?
why does the referenced layer supersede the owner? Is this an order of operations that is constant?

[Joe_Carrick]

19 minutes ago, Renerabbitt said:

This method works...but why?
why does the referenced layer supersede the owner? Is this an order of operations that is constant?

It isn't the referenced layer, it's the referenced object.  The first line established what object to examine.  If there's a connection (ie: referenced ? is true) then the connected (referenced) object is examined and its layer is displayed.  Otherwise, the owner (text or note) is examined and its layer is displayed.

 

Very simply, that first line determines what object is going to be reported. obj is the object because the first line set it either as the referenced object or the owner object.

 

 

That 1st line could have been written:

• if referenced ?
•   obj=referenced
• else
•   obj=owner
• end

[Alaskan_Son]

8 hours ago, Joe_Carrick said:

That 1st line could have been written:

 

• if referenced ?
•   obj=referenced
• else
•   obj=owner
• end

 

"if referenced ?" shouldn't have the question mark.

[Joe_Carrick]

1 hour ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

"if referenced ?" shouldn't have the question mark.

Sorry, I'm so used to writing the conditional on a single line.

[Alaskan_Son]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:12 AM, Renerabbitt said:

This method works...but why?
why does the referenced layer supersede the owner? Is this an order of operations that is constant?

 

Your conditional statements are what causes one thing to supersede another.  In this example, you're using what's called a ternary operator which consists of 3 parts separated by a question mark and a colon (condition ? value if truthy : value if falsey), and you're testing to see if referenced has any truthy value.  If it does, your obj variable is defined as referenced throughout the rest of your code.  That's it.  You've created a fork in the road and have decided to head down the referenced path.