TextOut
TextOut
The function displays a text in a custom array (buffer) and returns the result of that operation. The array is designed to create the graphical resource.
bool TextOut(
const string text, // displayed text
int x, // X coordinate
int y, // Y coordinate
uint anchor, // anchor type
uint &data[], // output buffer
uint width, // buffer width in pixels
uint height, // buffer height in pixels
uint color, // text color
ENUM_COLOR_FORMAT color_format // color format for output
);Parameters
- text
[in] Displayed text that will be written to the buffer. Only one-lined text is displayed.
- x
[in] X coordinate of the anchor point of the displayed text.
- y
[in] Y coordinate of the anchor point of the displayed text.
- anchor
[in] The value out of the 9 pre-defined methods of the displayed text’s anchor point location. The value is set by a combination of two flags – flags of horizontal and vertical text align. Flag names are listed in the Note below.
- data[]
[in] Buffer, in which text is displayed. The buffer is used to create the graphical resource.
- width
[in] Buffer width in pixels.
- height
[in] Buffer height in pixels.
- color
[in] Text color.
- color_format
[in] Color format is set by ENUM_COLOR_FORMAT enumeration value.
Returned value
Returns true if successful, otherwise false.
Note
Anchor point specified by anchor is a combination of two flags of horizontal and vertical text align. Horizontal text align flags:
- TA_LEFT – anchor point on the left side of the bounding box
- TA_CENTER – horizontal anchor point is located at the center of the bounding box
- TA_RIGHT – anchor point on the right side of the bounding box
Vertical text align flags:
- TA_TOP – anchor point at the upper side of the bounding box
- TA_VCENTER – vertical anchor point is located at the center of the bounding box
- TA_BOTTOM – anchor point at the lower side of the bounding box
Possible combinations of flags and specified anchor points are shown in the image.

Example:
#property strict
//--- width and height of the canvas (used for drawing)
#define IMG_WIDTH 200
#define IMG_HEIGHT 200
//--- display the parameter window before launching the script
#property script_show_inputs
//--- enable to set color format
input ENUM_COLOR_FORMAT clr_format=COLOR_FORMAT_XRGB_NOALPHA;
//--- drawing array (buffer)
uint ExtImg[IMG_WIDTH*IMG_HEIGHT];
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//| Script program start function |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
void OnStart()
{
//--- create OBJ_BITMAP_LABEL object for drawing
ObjectCreate(0,"CLOCK",OBJ_BITMAP_LABEL,0,0,0);
//--- specify the name of the graphical resource for writing in CLOCK object
ObjectSetString(0,"CLOCK",OBJPROP_BMPFILE,"::IMG");
//--- auxiliary variables
double a; // arrow corner
uint nm=2700; // minute corner
uint nh=2700*12; // hour counter
uint w,h; // variables for receiving text string sizes
int x,y; // variables for calculation of the current coordinates of text string anchor points
//--- rotate clock hands in an infinite loop, till the script is stopped
while(!IsStopped())
{
//--- clear the clock drawing buffer array
ArrayFill(ExtImg,0,IMG_WIDTH*IMG_HEIGHT,0);
//--- set the font for drawing digits for the clock-face
TextSetFont("Arial",-200,FW_EXTRABOLD,0);
//--- draw the clock-face
for(int i=1;i<=12;i++)
{
//--- receive the size of the current hour on the clock-face
TextGetSize(string(i),w,h);
//--- calculate the coordinates of the current hour on the clock-face
a=-((i*300)%3600*M_PI)/1800.0;
x=IMG_WIDTH/2-int(sin(a)*80+0.5+w/2);
y=IMG_HEIGHT/2-int(cos(a)*80+0.5+h/2);
//--- output the hour on the clock-face to ExtImg[] buffer
TextOut(string(i),x,y,TA_LEFT|TA_TOP,ExtImg,IMG_WIDTH,IMG_HEIGHT,0xFFFFFFFF,clr_format);
}
//--- now, specify the font for drawing the minute hand
TextSetFont("Arial",-200,FW_EXTRABOLD,-int(nm%3600));
//--- receive the size of the minute hand
TextGetSize("----->",w,h);
//--- calculate the coordinates of the minute hand on the clock-face
a=-(nm%3600*M_PI)/1800.0;
x=IMG_WIDTH/2-int(sin(a)*h/2+0.5);
y=IMG_HEIGHT/2-int(cos(a)*h/2+0.5);
//--- output of the minute hand to the clock-face in ExtImg[]buffer
TextOut("----->",x,y,TA_LEFT|TA_TOP,ExtImg,IMG_WIDTH,IMG_HEIGHT,0xFFFFFFFF,clr_format);
//--- now, set the font for drawing the minute hand
TextSetFont("Arial",-200,FW_EXTRABOLD,-int(nh/12%3600));
TextGetSize("==>",w,h);
//--- calculate the coordinates of the hour hand on the clock-face
a=-(nh/12%3600*M_PI)/1800.0;
x=IMG_WIDTH/2-int(sin(a)*h/2+0.5);
y=IMG_HEIGHT/2-int(cos(a)*h/2+0.5);
//--- output of the hour hand on the clock-face to ExtImg[] buffer
TextOut("==>",x,y,TA_LEFT|TA_TOP,ExtImg,IMG_WIDTH,IMG_HEIGHT,0xFFFFFFFF,clr_format);
//--- update the graphical resource
ResourceCreate("::IMG",ExtImg,IMG_WIDTH,IMG_HEIGHT,0,0,IMG_WIDTH,clr_format);
//--- forced chart update
ChartRedraw();
//--- increase hour and minute counters
nm+=60;
nh+=60;
//--- keeping a short pause between the frames
Sleep(10);
}
//--- delete CLOCK object when completing the script's operation
ObjectDelete(0,"CLOCK");
//---
}See also
Resources, ResourceCreate(), ResourceSave(), TextGetSize(), TextSetFont()