# Problem with GUI ask\_dialog
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question, guis, gtk
**Created:** [December 16, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224 "2021-12-16T19:14:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/1 "2021-12-16T19:14:39Z")
Julia is freezing when I use `ask_dialog()` in julia file. I added extra code as suggested to let it work, however, the problem is still existing. Any solution?
```julia
using Gtk
win = GtkWindow("gtkwait")
if !isinteractive()
@async Gtk.gtk_main()
Gtk.waitforsignal(win,:destroy)
end
state = ask_dialog("Like or Not?", "No", "Yes")
```
---
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/2 "2021-12-20T14:44:02Z")
Any solution?
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/3 "2021-12-20T14:55:36Z")
Try ensuring it runs in the UI thread by putting it in an `Gtk.@idle_add begin ... end` block.
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/4 "2021-12-20T14:58:20Z")
Also, I think the `Gtk.waitforsignal` call is only intended for the end of a script?
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/6 "2021-12-20T16:17:50Z")
I think you can ignore `@idle_add` for now, it looks like, based on the documentation, you need to put the `ask_dialog` _first_, and then at the _end_ of the script, do the `if !isinteractive` block.
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/8 "2021-12-20T16:46:44Z")
Ah, I see the issue. Sorry, just trying it out myself.
It’s not that it gets frozen per se, it’s that the dialog button press isn’t registering somehow, so the dialog never closes and allows the program to continue.
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/9 "2021-12-20T16:47:54Z")
Might be related to this issue: [https://github.com/JuliaGraphics/Gtk.jl/issues/576](https://github.com/JuliaGraphics/Gtk.jl/issues/576)
---
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/10 "2021-12-20T16:51:54Z")
Thank you!
> [@BioTurboNick](#):
>
> Might be related to this issue: [Hangs when calling open\_dialog()/open\_dialog\_native() non-interactively · Issue #576 · JuliaGraphics/Gtk.jl · GitHub](https://github.com/JuliaGraphics/Gtk.jl/issues/576)
Unfortunately, I did not find a solution at this link.
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 4:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/11 "2021-12-20T16:54:46Z")
Right, it may need people to look more deeply into what’s going on. I might be able to poke around but I’m not the most familiar with the code base.
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### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/12 "2021-12-20T17:04:51Z")
@JeffFessler JeffFessler
Can you support please?
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/13 "2021-12-20T17:10:01Z")
Oh no… this is a Heisenbug. If you stick `println`s in the function, it starts working 😆
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/15 "2021-12-20T17:30:09Z")
Sorry, I mean in the Gtk.jl function itself. But, you can call the internal functions directly and it seems to work:
```julia
dlg = GtkMessageDialog(message, ((no_text, 0), (yes_text, 1)),
Gtk.GtkDialogFlags.DESTROY_WITH_PARENT, Gtk.GtkMessageType.QUESTION, Gtk.GtkNullContainer())
println("I'm necessary for some reason")
response = run(dlg)
destroy(dlg)
status = response == 1
```
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/17 "2021-12-20T17:35:41Z")
See my edited post
---
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/18 "2021-12-20T17:39:15Z")
Many thanks for your help. It works!
---
### Author:  [@BioTurboNick](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BioTurboNick)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/19 "2021-12-20T18:37:04Z")
A better solution was posted in the GitHub issue you could try.
---
### Author:  [@Amro](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Amro)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/20 "2021-12-20T18:40:27Z")
Thank you, I will have a look
---
### Author:  [@tknopp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/tknopp)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/21 "2021-12-20T18:47:59Z")
for the records: Here is what you want if you are using Gtk in an interactive/still scripted manner:
```julia
using Gtk
if !isinteractive()
@async Gtk.gtk_main()
end
t = @async begin
state = ask_dialog("Find Steady-state solution and start rom steady-state?", "No", "Yes")
end
if !isinteractive()
wait(t)
end
```
---
### Author:  [@ellocco](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ellocco)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2022, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/22 "2022-08-17T09:01:28Z")
Another issue is the problem that occurs when you work with multiple monitors.
Is it possible that the pop-up window opens on the same monitor, where the REPL is located?
---
### Author:  [@ellocco](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ellocco)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2022, 8:44am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/problem-with-gui-ask-dialog/73224/23 "2022-09-23T08:44:46Z")
Meanwhile I found a [thread that shows how to count the number of available monitors and select a monitor to display a window](https://github.com/JuliaGraphics/Gtk.jl/issues/631), this is already great.
Now it would be nice to figure out on which monitor my current `REPL`-window is located,
has someone a suggestion?