doAsMessage(expression) expression text limit

[PhotoGraphex]

Is it possible that the doAsMessage(expression) function has a text limit of 256 characters for the length of the expression?

After numerous tests, it seems that I am getting an error 2 for "Can't understand arguments." every times the expression is over 256 characters!

When I paste the same text string into the message box it does perform normally!

Could it be something else?

Is there a workaround? 

Can I send a return keystroke to the message box? Not elegant, but it would work!

Regards,

[MARK LUCAS]

Hi André,

Yes it appears that when the maximum message length in the rest of the interpreter was increased in SC 4.7 this function was overlooked, and until now nobody noticed (or at least nobody reported it).

IIRC you can't explicitly send messages or keystrokes directly to the msg box via script, but it should automatically receive typed returns if there is no open field. So I suppose for now you could indeed use it (however inelegantly) to sidestep this limitation if you're willing to jump through a few hoops:

on mouseUp

  local oldChunk = selectedChunk(), oldMsg = msg, oldVis = vis of msg

  if oldChunk ≠ empty then

    lock messages

    select empty

    unlock messages

  end if

  put merge("say `This oughta do it!`")

  type return

  if oldChunk ≠ empty then

    lock messages

    do "select " & oldChunk

    unlock messages

  end if

  put oldMsg

  set vis of msg to oldVis

end mouseUp

-Mark