# ANN: Empty list message **URL:** \ **Category:** Templates\ **Tags:** list, winapi\ **Created:** [June 16, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243 "2021-06-16T18:26:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/mike_duglas/32/1061_2.png) [@Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/u/Mike_Duglas)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/1 "2021-06-16T18:26:47Z")
“Empty list message” is a template which displays a message on a LIST control when the list is empty. ![elmdemo](https://clarionhub-uploads.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/3/34db8db16b5203d2ccdc087ae44023a43a36523b.png) ![elmdemo2](https://clarionhub-uploads.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/f/f00c686463d50b1e46af909203baf857ead94619.png) **Usage** - Register the template. - Add global extension. - Done, now all your browse boxes will display empty list message. **Features** - Multiline messages. - Unicode support. - Transparency. **Requirements** - Clarion 6.3 and newer. - ABC and Legacy template chains. **Demo** The demo program is available to download from [here](https://yadi.sk/d/-telnyGNr5jl0A). **Price** $50 via [PayPal](https://www.paypal.me/mikeduglas?ppid=PPC000628&cnac=RU&rsta=ru_RU(ru_RU)&cust=8W29QJ6GKY9HS&unptid=75f96da6-24a4-11e9-ae2c-441ea14e9560&t=&cal=ff0291196b3f5&calc=ff0291196b3f5&calf=ff0291196b3f5&unp_tpcid=ppme-social-user-profile-created&page=main:email&pgrp=main:email&e=op&mchn=em&s=ci&mail=sys). ---
**Author:** ![Clarion\_clarion](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/clarion_clarion/32/636_2.png) [@Clarion\_clarion](https://clarionhub.com/u/Clarion_clarion)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 6:40am UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/2 "2021-06-17T06:40:03Z")
If List is empty why we need to wait? What does it mean “Empty List”??? ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/mike_duglas/32/1061_2.png) [@Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/u/Mike_Duglas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:32am UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/3 "2021-06-17T10:32:04Z")
Empty list is a list with no items. For example, when a user types something in locator field and gets empty record set back, she sees an empty dull list, but with this template she could see funny message “Nothing found, call tech support 555-321-44-00”. ---
**Author:** ![Clarion\_clarion](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/clarion_clarion/32/636_2.png) [@Clarion\_clarion](https://clarionhub.com/u/Clarion_clarion)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:57am UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/4 "2021-06-17T10:57:09Z")
I see!! make more sense. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![CarlBarnes](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/carlbarnes/32/1859_2.png) [@CarlBarnes](https://clarionhub.com/u/CarlBarnes)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/5 "2021-06-18T17:29:02Z")
Some [System Color](https://github.com/CarlTBarnes/SystemColors) examples are below that will change with the user’s color theme so these colors should work better with things like dark themes. Top one is making the message look like a Tool Tip aka Info Text. ![image](https://clarionhub-uploads.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/f/f1e70abd67553181d7ce2d5af89876ee9f4ba8a6.png) The way I’ve done this is in each Window to add a PROMPT or STRING after the LIST with the text. Then Hide/UnHide that in the proper Browse embed like ABC BrowseClass.ResetQueue using RECORDS(SELF.ListQueue) or Legacy has 2 embeds: “Browser, records found” and “Browser, no records found”. For a hand coded LIST you can also do it this way. Note the tooltip Color:InfoText / Background System Color equates are somewhat new to Clarion, they have been in Windows since Win98 NT4. The Window designer is broken so will change them to an RGB Color:Black / 00E1FFFFh . To be sure you are using tooltip System Color you must set them in an embed with PROP:FontColor and PROP:Color. ---
**Author:** ![jslarve](https://clarionhub.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jslarve](https://clarionhub.com/u/jslarve)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/6 "2021-06-18T19:13:44Z")
I’ve always used an alternative FORMAT() and FROM() containing descriptive information, but your solution looks useful. ---
**Author:** ![CarlBarnes](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/carlbarnes/32/1859_2.png) [@CarlBarnes](https://clarionhub.com/u/CarlBarnes)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/7 "2021-06-18T19:28:29Z")
> [@jslarve](#): > > an alternative FORMAT() and FROM() containing descriptive information, Do have an example of how you did that? ---
**Author:** ![jslarve](https://clarionhub.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jslarve](https://clarionhub.com/u/jslarve)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/8 "2021-06-18T19:49:06Z")
Not really, as it wasn’t my project. My csv class does it a little bit with FORMAT() when loading, but not in a way that would be useful for a browse. Plus, this is Mike’s thread, and he writes really good stuff, so I’m guessing he put a lot of thought into it. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/mike_duglas/32/1061_2.png) [@Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/u/Mike_Duglas)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/9 "2021-06-18T20:39:47Z")
Thank you for the feedback. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/user_avatar/clarionhub.com/mike_duglas/32/1061_2.png) [@Mike\_Duglas](https://clarionhub.com/u/Mike_Duglas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://clarionhub.com/t/ann-empty-list-message/4243/10 "2021-07-16T19:23:15Z")
Another small demo shows how to animate the message on a list while a user is waiting for the data to be loaded. > **[Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/s/hoi1xxjtqazmvpm/DbLoading.zip?dl=0)**