'\"
'\" Copyright (c) 2001 Donal K. Fellows
'\"
'\" See the file "license.terms" for information on usage and redistribution
'\" of this file, and for a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.
'\" 
'\" RCS: @(#) $Id: console.n,v 1.1 2001/05/15 09:50:13 dkf Exp $
'\"
.so man.macros
.TH console n "" Tcl "Tcl Built-In Commands"
.BS
'\" This command is documented here because the implementation is part
'\" of Tcl, even though it is only able to function when Tk is also
'\" available...
'\"
'\" Note:  do not modify the .SH NAME line immediately below!
.SH NAME
console \- Control the console on systems without a real console
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBconsole title \fR?\fIstring\fR?
.sp
\fBconsole hide\fR
.sp
\fBconsole show\fR
.sp
\fBconsole eval \fIscript\fR
.BE

.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
The console window is a replacement for a real console to allow input
and output on the standard I/O channels on platforms that do not have
a real console.  It is implemented as a separate interpreter with the
Tk toolkit loaded, and control over this interpreter is given through
the \fBconsole\fR command.
.PP
.TP
\fBconsole eval \fIscript\fR
Evaluate the \fIscript\fR argument as a Tcl script in the console
interpreter.  The normal interpreter is accessed through the
\fBconsoleinterp\fR command in the console interpreter.
.TP
\fBconsole hide\fR
Hide the console window from view.  Precisely equivalent to
withdrawing the \fB.\fR window in the console interpreter.
.TP
\fBconsole show\fR
Display the console window.  Precisely equivalent to deiconifying the
\fB.\fR window in the console interpreter.
.TP
\fBconsole title \fR?\fIstring\fR?
Query or modify the title of the console window.  If \fIstring\fR is
not specified, queries the title of the console window, and sets the
title of the console window to \fIstring\fR otherwise.  Precisely
equivalent to using the \fBwm title\fI command in the console
interpreter.

.SH "ACCESS TO THE MAIN INTERPRETER"
.PP
The \fBconsoleinterp\fR command in the console interpreter allows
scripts to be evaluated in the main interpreter.  It supports two
subcommands: \fBeval\fR and \fBrecord\fR.
.PP
.TP
\fBconsoleinterp eval \fIscript\fR
Evaluates \fIscript\fR as a Tcl script at the global level in the main
interpreter.
.TP
\fBconsoleinterp record \fIscript\fR
Records and evaluates \fIscript\fR as a Tcl script at the global level
in the main interpreter as if \fIscript\fR had been typed in at the
console.

.SH "ADDITIONAL TRAP CALLS"
.PP
There are several additional commands in the console interpreter that
are called in response to activity in the main interpreter.
.PP
Output to the console from the main interpreter via the stdout and
stderr channels is handled by invoking the \fBtkConsoleOutput\fR
command in the console interpreter with two arguments.  The first
argument is the name of the channel being written to, and the second
argument is the string being written to the channel (after encoding
and end-of-line translation processing has been performed.)
.PP
When the \fB.\fR window of the main interpreter is destroyed, the
\fBtkConsoleExit\fR command in the console interpreter is called
(assuming the console interpreter has not already been deleted itself,
that is.)

.SH KEYWORDS
console, Tk, interpreter, window, interactive, output channels

.SH "SEE ALSO"
destroy(n), fconfigure(n), history(n), interp(n), puts(n), wm(n)