Cursor Not Changing

Ben Rubinstein benr_mc at cogapp.com
Sun Aug 23 16:07:35 EDT 2026


Hi Paul,

Thanks, but that's not the issue.

Set a button to this script:
on mouseup
    set the hilite of me to true
    wait 1 second
    set cursor to watch
    repeat 4 times
       wait 1 second
       set cursor to busy
    end repeat
    set cursor to cross
    wait 1 second
    set the hilite of me to false
end mouseup

... click the mouse in the IDE, and don't touch it again. All you'll get is 
the button hilite for six seconds, then un-hilite. (The first 1 second wait is 
just to give you time to stop moving the mouse!)

It's not that. For some reason, setting the cursor (at least on macOS, at 
least in the IDE) has no effect. I don't think that this is only on the most 
recent macOS, or the most recent LiveCode.

Ben

On 22/08/2026 21:12, Paul Dupuis via use-livecode wrote:
> If you are running stacks in the ADE, don't move the cursor. If the cursor 
> moved over part of the IDE, the IDE unlocks it to set it as it thinks it 
> should be set
> 
> 
> On 8/20/2026 5:49 AM, Ben Rubinstein via use-livecode wrote:
>> I may have got the wrong end of the stick - but forever I've been cursing 
>> the fact that setting the cursor seems to have stopped working altogether.
>>
>> These days I mostly run various personal tools in the IDE. My scripts 
>> typically set the watch cursor to tell me that they're running, sometimes 
>> the spin to let me know they're chunking through some large quantity of data 
>> - with or without lock cursor, that seems to have been broken for a long 
>> time. But I never get round to reporting it.
>>
>> Is this the issue that's been discussed here? If so I'm pleased to hear if 
>> it's only an IDE thing (which perhaps explains why it hasn't been addressed, 
>> if most people are building apps).  I've tended to assume it's down to some 
>> change in macOS.
>>
>>
>> On 19/08/2026 16:55, Paul Dupuis via use-livecode wrote:
>>> Honestly, most people I think would never see this bug. I don't think many 
>>> people use "lock cursor".
>>>
>>> I only found it as we have a commercial application that has a component 
>>> that does something like "mind mapping" - i.e. drawing boxes of "codes:" 
>>> and connecting them. To do so we have to enter LC's drawing "mode" to 
>>> manipulate creating new drawing objects and placing them in a group. We 
>>> have to tightly control the cursor in and out of the group. That is where 
>>> it became apparent for us.
>>>
>>> Anyway, it is unlikely to ever get built into a new LC 10 maintenance 
>>> version at this point, so it;s a moot point.
>>>
>>> -- Paul
>>>
>>> On 8/19/2026 10:21 AM, Roger Guay via use-livecode wrote:
>>>> I had not seen it before either until a few weeks ago. Now, the problem is 
>>>> present in all the various releases I have of LC and in HyperXtalk
>>>>
>>>> Roger
>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 18, 2026, at 10:49 AM, Craig Newman via use-livecode <use- 
>>>>> livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> All.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am in 9.6.9, and again, have never seen this strange cursor issue. So 
>>>>> why me, if it is so well known a bug?
>>>>>
>>>>> Craig
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Aug 18, 2026, at 12:39 PM, Paul Dupuis via use-livecode <use- 
>>>>>> livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To be fair, I just downloaded the my sample stack and tested in LC 10
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The behavior is different - one might argue it is fixed from hat I 
>>>>>> described. However, I would still say it is erroneous. When the sample 
>>>>>> stack is originally opened the cursor is locked to a browse (finger). If 
>>>>>> you move the cursor into the blue rectangle it does change as it should 
>>>>>> and change back as it should when exiting the blue rectangle.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> However, it you move the cursor over a button (like the Quit button, it 
>>>>>> changes to a pointer, and then when leaving the Quit button, it remains 
>>>>>> a pointer, even though the cursor was locked at the browser (finger) 
>>>>>> cursor. This appears the same behavior whether lock cursor is true or 
>>>>>> false. I would argue that under lock cursor it should remain as locked 
>>>>>> (finger) until the code tell it otherwise.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -- Paul
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 8/18/2026 12:16 PM, Paul Dupuis via use-livecode wrote:
>>>>>>> It is a very old bug, and, even with a fresh install of LC 10, it still 
>>>>>>> seems present.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For a while we tested every new release to see it it was fixed and the 
>>>>>>> database just had not been updated. Then we gave up. If the bug is in 
>>>>>>> fact fixed, or there is a reliable work around, like reinstalling the 
>>>>>>> cursor stack, then LiveCode, LTD should have put that in the bug 
>>>>>>> comments and update the status.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It was/is there job to inform customers, who report bugs, when those 
>>>>>>> bug are fixed. At least in my opinion.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It may be a completely moot point in LiveCode Create - for all I know 
>>>>>>> the bug does not exists in that code base - and that is the future 
>>>>>>> direction of LiveCode.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -- Paul
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 8/18/2026 11:18 AM, J. Landman Gay via use-livecode wrote:
>>>>>>>> It may be that the cursor stack is corrupted, or that another image 
>>>>>>>> has the same ID as the pointer cursor. I'd try deleting the LC app and 
>>>>>>>> re- installing to see if that fixes it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -- 
>>>>>>>> Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw.com
>>>>>>>> HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com
>>>>>>>> On August 18, 2026 9:23:23 AM Craig Newman via use-livecode <use- 
>>>>>>>> livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have never seen this. It is common knowledge? I an on a Ma
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Craig
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Aug 18, 2026, at 9:56 AM, Paul Dupuis via use-livecode <use- 
>>>>>>>>>> livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I find it interesting that this bug is listed as "AWAITING _MERGE", 
>>>>>>>>>> as well as a number of other bugs in that same state.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> If I recall, that means the code to fix it has been written and just 
>>>>>>>>>> need to be built and possibly tested.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> As I also seem to recall LiveCode spent a lot of time developing 
>>>>>>>>>> automated testing routines, and an automated build process, I DO 
>>>>>>>>>> have to wonder why they do not just release ONE more maintenance 
>>>>>>>>>> release of LiveCode Classic with any and all AWAITING _MERGE fixes 
>>>>>>>>>> rolled in.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It seems like a waste of human resources for someone to have spent 
>>>>>>>>>> the time fixing the code and not roll it into one last build and 
>>>>>>>>>> release.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> -- Paul
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On 8/18/2026 1:02 AM, Roger Guay via use-livecode wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Thank you, Paul!
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On Aug 17, 2026, at 7:05 AM, Paul Dupuis via use-livecode <use- 
>>>>>>>>>>>> livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> There are 1 or more bugs related to cursors and lock cursor I 
>>>>>>>>>>>> submitted ages ago that I don;t think have been fixed in classic 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Livecode.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Here's the one I think applies: https://quality.livecode.com/ 
>>>>>>>>>>>> show_bug.cgi?id=22211
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/16/2026 10:46 PM, Roger Guay via use-livecode wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi Folks,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Can anyone tell me why the cursor does not change when I switch 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> from the browse to pointer tools and vice versa? It’s always the 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> browse tool, regardless of what I select, even though the 
>>>>>>>>>>>>> function is switched as expected. LC 10.0.5, Mac OS Tahoe
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thank You
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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