wait

wait [for] posInteger [ticks]

wait [for] posInteger seconds

wait until trueOrFalse

wait while trueOrFalse

The wait command causes HyperCard to pause before executing the rest of a handler, either for a specific length of time, until a specified condition becomes true, or while a specified condition remains true.

If you do not specify seconds as the unit of time, HyperCard uses ticks. (One tick equals one-sixtieth of a second.)

Examples

wait 7

wait for 7

wait 7 ticks

wait for 7 ticks

wait for 1 second

wait 3 seconds

wait until the mouse is up

wait until the mouseLoc is within the rect of button 1

wait until the sound is done

wait while the commandKey is down

wait while the mouseLoc is within the rect of button 1

wait until the mouseClick

Demo Script

on waitUntilTheMouse

  set the cursor to arrow

  show bkgnd field "demo field"

  displayMessage "Click the mouse to continue . . ."

  wait until the mouseClick

  hide bkgnd field "demo field"

end waitUntilTheMouse

Placeholders

posInteger

An expression that evaluates to a positive integer.

For example:

3

67 mod 13

the number of bg fields

the number of backgrounds

the number of cards div 2

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

trueOrFalse

Any expression that evaluates to the HyperTalk and AppleScript constants true or false.

For example:

true

false

the hilite of bg btn "Yes"

fld "Zip" contains "95014"

the short name of this stack is "Fred"

HyperTalk Reference

Version 0.8b4 (July 4, 2025)