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textFont

set [the] textFont to text
set [the] textFont of [chunk of] field to text
set [the] textFont of button to text
set [the] textFont of the message box to text

where text is the name of a font available from the current stack.

The textFont property returns or sets the current font of the Paint Text tool, text in a field, a button name, or the Message box.

The default value is Geneva for fields, Paint text, and the Message box; the default value is Chicago for buttons.

Note: if a chunk of a field contains a mixture of fonts, HyperCard returns mixed when you ask for the textFont.

Examples

the textFont of field 1
the textFont of the clickChunk
the textFont of the foundChunk
if the textFont of the clickChunk is "Monaco" then ...
set the textFont to "Geneva" -- for the text tool
set the textFont of field 1 to "New York"
set the textFont of card button 1 to "Geneva"
set the textFont of char 1 to 19 of line 2 of field 3 to "Monaco"

Related Topics

Placeholders

text

An expression that evaluates to a text string.

A text expression can be a literal string surrounded by quotation marks or the value of a container.

For example:

"Hello"
"The sum is:" && 3
card field 1
line 1 of bg fld "Address"
the Message box
the selection
myVar -- a variable

See also: background, bkgnd, button, card, field, menu, menuItem, and stack

chunk

One of the following forms (or combinations thereof):

ordinal character
character posInteger [to posInteger]
ordinal word
word posInteger [to posInteger]
ordinal item
item posInteger [to posInteger]
ordinal line
line posInteger [to posInteger]

For example:

first character
second item
middle line
character 1
char 1 to 10
word 3
item 5 to (the number of items of me)
line 1 to 10
char 1 to 10 of word 2 to 4 of ¬
line 3 to 6

A chunk combined with of and a container is called a chunk expression. For example: line 1 of card field "index"

Important: You can’t combine a stack name with a chunk expression—you can only refer to a chunk in the current stack.

field

An expression that identifies a field by name, number, or id using one of the following forms (in AppleScript, use “background” in place of “bkgnd”):

card field id posInteger [[of] card]
card field text [of card] -- name
card field posInteger [of card]
ordinal card field [of card]
[bkgnd] field id posInteger [of card]
[bkgnd] field text [of card] -- name
[bkgnd] field posInteger [of card]
ordinal [bkgnd] field [of card]
For example:

card field id 3894

card field "My Notes"

card field 1

first card field

background field 3 of card 1

When used inside a field script in HyperTalk: `me`
When a field receives a message: `[the] target`
A field can also be referred to as a part when you’re talking about its position among all buttons and fields within the same card or background.

button

HyperTalk Definition

An expression that identifies a button by name, number, or id, using one of the following forms:

[card] button id posInteger [of card]
[card] button text [of card] -- name
[card] button posInteger [of card]
ordinal [card] button [of card]
bkgnd button id posInteger [of card]
bkgnd button text [of card] -- name
bkgnd button posInteger [of card]
ordinal bkgnd button [of card]

For example:

card button id 3894
card button "Return"
card button 1
first card button
bkgnd button 2 of card 2
last bkgnd button

When used inside a button script: me

When a button receives a message: [the] target

A button can also be referred to as a part when you’re talking about its position among all buttons and fields within the same card or background.

AppleScript Definition

An expression that identifies a button by name, number, or id, using the same forms as HyperTalk except that “background” must be used in place of “bkgnd”.

HyperTalk Reference


Version 0.8b4 (July 4, 2025)

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