Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How can I retrieve data from stateful widget (Checkbox, Multiselect, etc)?

If you have a global variable with widget you can use it with dialog_manager:

widget.get_checked(manager)

Other option is to use widget id to get adapter and then call its methods:

widget = dialog_manager.dialog().find('some_widget_id')
widget.get_checked()

What is current_context().widget_data for?

This dictionary contains data stored by widgets themselves. Data structure is a matter of widget implementation so it should not be accessed directly. If you need to retrieve widget state use its methods.

How can I set a default value for a Multiselect or a Radio

The better way is to state inside on_start callback of dialog.

How can I show Select widget in multiple rows? What about pagination?

Wrap it with some layout widget like Group, Column or ScrollingGroup.

How can I show many buttons loaded from my database and paginate them?

Create Select widget and wrap it with ScrollingGroup. In this case items should be loaded in window getter.

How can I show photo by its file_id?

You need to create custom widget. Use StaticMedia as a sample.

How can I request user location or contact?

You need to send somehow a message with reply keyboard. You can use MessageInput to handle response within a window.

How can I show a list with URL buttons in a way similar to Select widget?

Create a ListGroup and put there a Url widget.

How can I make library not to send new message when user sends a message himself?

It is working this way because otherwise a dialog can be outside of user screen and he will loose it. If you still want to disable this feature you can add a MessageInput and then set dialog_manager.show_mode=ShowMode.EDIT inside handler.

How can I access middleware data inside dialog handlers or widgets?

• In getter you will get it as kwargs

• In handlers it is available via dialog_manager.data

• During rendering (like in Format) it is passed as a middleware_data

How can I find the current user?

Get it as a dialog_manager.event.from_user.

Caution: in case of background updates (done via BgManager) it can contain only id. If it is not suitable for you case set load=True while creating bg manager.

How can I pass data between dialogs?

Input - pass via dialog_manager.start(..., data="here"), read using dialog_manager.start_data. Output - pass via dialog_manager.done(result="here"), read as a parameter to on_process_result of parent dialog

More details: Starting a dialog, Closing a dialog.

How can I can use “when” condition in pager widget?

Pager widgets like ListGroup, PrevPage, NextPage, etc. use separate data, unlike other widgets like Button, Select. To use pass some information from the original data, which our getter returns - you need to use magic_filter to first access data and then the key of the desired data. For example