path: root/doc/ttk_entry.n

'\"
'\" Copyright (c) 1994-1996 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
'\" Copyright (c) 1998-2000 Scriptics Corporation.
'\" Copyright (c) 2004 Joe English
'\"
'\" See the file "license.terms" for information on usage and redistribution
'\" of this file, and for a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.
'\" 
'\" SOURCE: entry.n, r1.12
'\" RCS: @(#) $Id: ttk_entry.n,v 1.3.2.1 2007/10/24 12:59:31 dgp Exp $
'\" 
.so man.macros
.TH ttk_entry n 8.5 Tk "Tk Themed Widget"
.BS
.\" Use _ instead of :: as the name becomes a filename on install
.SH NAME
ttk_entry \- Editable text field widget
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBttk::entry\fR \fIpathName \fR?\fIoptions\fR?
.BE

.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
An \fBttk::entry\fR widget displays a one-line text string and
allows that string to be edited by the user.
The value of the string may be linked to a Tcl variable 
with the \fB\-textvariable\fR option.
Entry widgets support horizontal scrolling with the 
standard \fB\-xscrollcommand\fR option and \fBxview\fR widget command.
.SO
\-class	\-cursor	\-style
\-takefocus	\-xscrollcommand
.SE
.SH "WIDGET-SPECIFIC OPTIONS"
.OP \-exportselection exportSelection ExportSelection
A boolean value specifying whether or not 
a selection in the widget should be linked to the X selection.
If the selection is exported, then selecting in the widget deselects
the current X selection, selecting outside the widget deselects any
widget selection, and the widget will respond to selection retrieval
requests when it has a selection.
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-font font Font
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-foreground foreground Foreground
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-insertbackground insertBackground Foreground
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-insertwidth insertWidth InsertWidth
.OP \-invalidcommand invalidCommand InvalidCommand
A script template to evaluate whenever the \fBvalidateCommand\fR returns 0.
See \fBVALIDATION\fR below for more information.
.OP \-justify justify Justify
Specifies how the text is aligned within the entry widget.
One of \fBleft\fR, \fBcenter\fR, or \fBright\fR.
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-selectbackground selectBackground Foreground
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-selectborderwidth selectBorderWidth BorderWidth
.\" MAYBE: .OP \-selectforeground selectForeground Background
.OP \-show show Show
If this option is specified, then the true contents of the entry
are not displayed in the window.
Instead, each character in the entry's value will be displayed as
the first character in the value of this option, such as ``*''.
This is useful, for example, if the entry is to be used to enter
a password.
If characters in the entry are selected and copied elsewhere, the
information copied will be what is displayed, not the true contents
of the entry.
.OP \-state state State
Compatibility option; see \fIttk_widget(n)\fR for details.
Specifies one of three states for the entry,
\fBnormal\fR, \fBdisabled\fR, or \fBreadonly\fR.
See \fBWIDGET STATES\fR, below.
.OP \-textvariable textVariable Variable
Specifies the name of a variable whose value is linked 
to the entry widget's contents.
Whenever the variable changes value, the widget's contents are updated,
and vice versa.
.OP \-validate validate Validate
Specifies the mode in which validation should operate:
\fBnone\fR, \fBfocus\fR, \fBfocusin\fR, \fBfocusout\fR, \fBkey\fR, or \fBall\fR.
Default is \fBnone\fR, meaning that validation is disabled.
See \fBVALIDATION\fR below.
.OP \-validatecommand validateCommand ValidateCommand
A script template to evaluate whenever validation is triggered.
If set to the empty string (the default), validation is disabled.
The script must return a boolean value.
See \fBVALIDATION\fR below.
.OP \-width width Width
Specifies an integer value indicating the desired width of the entry window,
in average-size characters of the widget's font.
.\" Not in ttk: If the value is less than or equal to zero, the widget picks a
.\" Not in ttk: size just large enough to hold its current text.
.SH NOTES
A portion of the entry may be selected as described below.
If an entry is exporting its selection (see the \fBexportSelection\fR
option), then it will observe the standard X11 protocols for handling the
selection;  entry selections are available as type \fBSTRING\fR.
Entries also observe the standard Tk rules for dealing with the
input focus.  When an entry has the input focus it displays an
\fIinsert cursor\fR to indicate where new characters will be
inserted.
.PP
Entries are capable of displaying strings that are too long to
fit entirely within the widget's window.  In this case, only a
portion of the string will be displayed;  commands described below
may be used to change the view in the window.  Entries use
the standard \fBxScrollCommand\fR mechanism for interacting with
scrollbars (see the description of the \fBxScrollCommand\fR option
for details).
.SH "INDICES"
Many of the \fBentry\fR widget commands take one or more indices as
arguments.  An index specifies a particular character in the entry's
string, in any of the following ways:
.IP \fInumber\fR
Specifies the character as a numerical index, where 0 corresponds
to the first character in the string.
.IP \fB@\fInumber\fR
In this form, \fInumber\fR is treated as an x-coordinate in the
entry's window;  the character spanning that x-coordinate is used.
For example, ``\fB@0\fR'' indicates the left-most character in the
window.
.IP \fBend\fR
Indicates the character just after the last one in the entry's string.
This is equivalent to specifying a numerical index equal to the length
of the entry's string.
.IP \fBinsert\fR
Indicates the character adjacent to and immediately following the
insert cursor.
.IP \fBsel.first\fR
Indicates the first character in the selection.  It is an error to
use this form if the selection isn't in the entry window.
.IP \fBsel.last\fR
Indicates the character just after the last one in the selection.
It is an error to use this form if the selection isn't in the
entry window.
.LP
Abbreviations may be used for any of the forms above, e.g. ``\fBe\fR''
or ``\fBsel.f\fR''.  In general, out-of-range indices are automatically
rounded to the nearest legal value.
.SH "WIDGET COMMAND"
.PP
The following commands are possible for entry widgets:
.TP
\fIpathName \fBbbox \fIindex\fR
Returns a list of four numbers describing the bounding box of the
character given by \fIindex\fR.
The first two elements of the list give the x and y coordinates of
the upper-left corner of the screen area covered by the character
(in pixels relative to the widget) and the last two elements give
the width and height of the character, in pixels.
The bounding box may refer to a region outside the visible area
of the window.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBcget\fR \fIoption\fR
Returns the current value of the specified \fIoption\fR.
See \fIttk_widget(n)\fR.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBconfigure\fR ?\fIoption\fR? ?\fIvalue option value ...\fR?
Modify or query widget options.
See \fIttk_widget(n)\fR.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBdelete \fIfirst \fR?\fIlast\fR?
Delete one or more elements of the entry.
\fIFirst\fR is the index of the first character to delete, and
\fIlast\fR is the index of the character just after the last
one to delete.
If \fIlast\fR isn't specified it defaults to \fIfirst\fR+1,
i.e. a single character is deleted.
This command returns the empty string.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBget\fR
Returns the entry's string.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBicursor \fIindex\fR
Arrange for the insert cursor to be displayed just before the character
given by \fIindex\fR.  Returns the empty string.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBidentify \fIx y\fR
Returns the name of the element at position \fIx\fR, \fIy\fR,
or the empty string if the coordinates are outside the window.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBindex\fI index\fR
Returns the numerical index corresponding to \fIindex\fR.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBinsert \fIindex string\fR
Insert \fIstring\fR just before the character
indicated by \fIindex\fR.  Returns the empty string.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBinstate \fIstatespec\fR ?\fIscript\fR?
Test the widget state.
See \fIttk_widget(n)\fR.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBselection \fIoption arg\fR
This command is used to adjust the selection within an entry.  It
has several forms, depending on \fIoption\fR:
.RS
.TP
\fIpathName \fBselection clear\fR
Clear the selection if it is currently in this widget.
If the selection isn't in this widget then the command has no effect.
Returns the empty string.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBselection present\fR
Returns 1 if there is are characters selected in the entry,
0 if nothing is selected.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBselection range \fIstart\fR \fIend\fR
Sets the selection to include the characters starting with
the one indexed by \fIstart\fR and ending with the one just
before \fIend\fR.
If \fIend\fR refers to the same character as \fIstart\fR or an
earlier one, then the entry's selection is cleared.
.RE
.TP
\fIpathName \fBstate\fR ?\fIstateSpec\fR?
Modify or query the widget state.
See \fIttk_widget(n)\fR.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBvalidate\fR
Force revalidation, independent of the conditions specified 
by the \fB\-validate\fR option.
Returns 0 if validation fails, 1 if it succeeds.
Sets or clears the \fBinvalid\fR state accordingly.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBxview \fIargs\fR
This command is used to query and change the horizontal position of the
text in the widget's window.  It can take any of the following
forms:
.RS
.TP
\fIpathName \fBxview\fR
Returns a list containing two elements.
Each element is a real fraction between 0 and 1; together they describe
the horizontal span that is visible in the window.
For example, if the first element is .2 and the second element is .6,
20% of the entry's text is off-screen to the left, the middle 40% is visible
in the window, and 40% of the text is off-screen to the right.
These are the same values passed to scrollbars via the \fB\-xscrollcommand\fR
option.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBxview\fR \fIindex\fR
Adjusts the view in the window so that the character given by \fIindex\fR
is displayed at the left edge of the window.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBxview moveto\fI fraction\fR
Adjusts the view in the window so that the character \fIfraction\fR of the
way through the text appears at the left edge of the window.
\fIFraction\fR must be a fraction between 0 and 1.
.TP
\fIpathName \fBxview scroll \fInumber what\fR
This command shifts the view in the window left or right according to
\fInumber\fR and \fIwhat\fR.
\fINumber\fR must be an integer.
\fIWhat\fR must be either \fBunits\fR or \fBpages\fR.
'\" or an abbreviation of one of these, but we don't document that.
If \fIwhat\fR is \fBunits\fR, the view adjusts left or right by
\fInumber\fR average-width characters on the display;  if it is
\fBpages\fR then the view adjusts by \fInumber\fR screenfuls.
If \fInumber\fR is negative then characters farther to the left
become visible;  if it is positive then characters farther to the right
become visible.
.RE
.SH VALIDATION
The \fB\-validate\fR, \fB\-validatecommand\fR, and \fB\-invalidcommand\fR
options are used to enable entry widget validation.
.SS "VALIDATION MODES"
There are two main validation modes: \fIprevalidation\fR,
in which the \fB\-validatecommand\fR is evaluated prior to each edit
and the return value is used to determine whether to accept 
or reject the change;
and \fIrevalidation\fR, in which the \fB\-validatecommand\fR is 
evaluated to determine whether the current value is valid.
.PP
The \fB\-validate\fR option determines when validation occurs;
it may be set to any of the following values:
.IP \fBnone\fR
Default.  This means validation will only occur when 
specifically requested by the \fBvalidate\fR widget command.
.IP \fBkey\fR
The entry will be prevalidated prior to each edit
(specifically, whenever the \fBinsert\fR or \fBdelete\fR 
widget commands are called).
If prevalidation fails, the edit is rejected.
.IP \fBfocus\fR
The entry is revalidated when the entry receives or loses focus.
.IP \fBfocusin\fR
The entry is revalidated when the entry receives focus.
.IP \fBfocusout\fR
The entry is revalidated when the entry loses focus.
.IP \fBall\fR
Validation is performed for all above conditions.
.PP
The \fB\-invalidcommand\fR is evaluated whenever
the \fB\-validatecommand\fR returns a false value.
.PP
The \fB\-validatecommand\fR and \fB\-invalidcommand\fR
may modify the entry widget's value
via the widget \fBinsert\fR or \fBdelete\fR commands,
or by setting the linked \fB\-textvariable\fR.
If either does so during prevalidation,
then the edit is rejected 
regardless of the value returned by the \fB\-validatecommand\fR.
.PP
If \fB\-validatecommand\fR is empty (the default), 
validation always succeeds.
.SS "VALIDATION SCRIPT SUBSTITUTIONS"
It is possible to perform percent substitutions on the 
\fB\-validatecommand\fR and \fBinvalidCommand\fR,
just as in a \fBbind\fR script.
The following substitutions are recognized:
.IP \fB%d\fR
Type of action: 1 for \fBinsert\fR prevalidation, 
0 for \fBdelete\fR prevalidation,
or -1 for revalidation.
.IP \fB%i\fR
Index of character string to be inserted/deleted, if any, otherwise -1.
.IP \fB%P\fR
In prevalidation, the new value of the entry if the edit is accepted.
In revalidation, the current value of the entry.
.IP \fB%s\fR
The current value of entry prior to editing.
.IP \fB%S\fR
The text string being inserted/deleted, if any, {} otherwise.
.IP \fB%v\fR
The current value of the \fB\-validate\fR option.
.IP \fB%V\fR
The validation condition that triggered the callback
(\fBkey\fR, \fBfocusin\fR, \fBfocusout\fR, or \fBforced\fR).
.IP \fB%W\fR
The name of the entry widget.
.SS "DIFFERENCES FROM TK ENTRY WIDGET VALIDATION"
.IP \(bu
The standard Tk entry widget automatically disables validation
(by setting \fB\-validate\fR to \fBnone\fR)
if the \fB\-validatecommand\fR or \fB\-invalidcommand\fR modifies 
the entry's value.
The Tk themed entry widget only disables validation if one
of the validation scripts raises an error, or if \fB\-validatecommand\fR
does not return a valid boolean value.
(Thus, it is not necessary to reenable validation after 
modifying the entry value in a validation script).
.IP \(bu
The standard entry widget invokes validation whenever the linked
\fB\-textvariable\fR is modified; the Tk themed entry widget does not.
.SH "DEFAULT BINDINGS"
The entry widget's default bindings enable the following behavior.  
In the descriptions below, ``word'' refers to a contiguous group
of letters, digits, or ``_'' characters, or any single character
other than these.
.IP \(bu
Clicking mouse button 1 positions the insert cursor
just before the character underneath the mouse cursor, sets the
input focus to this widget, and clears any selection in the widget.
Dragging with mouse button 1 down strokes out a selection between
the insert cursor and the character under the mouse.
.IP \(bu
Double-clicking with mouse button 1 selects the word under the mouse
and positions the insert cursor at the end of the word.
Dragging after a double click strokes out a selection consisting
of whole words.
.IP \(bu
Triple-clicking with mouse button 1 selects all of the text in the
entry and positions the insert cursor at the end of the line.
.IP \(bu
The ends of the selection can be adjusted by dragging with mouse
button 1 while the Shift key is down.
If the button is double-clicked before dragging then the selection
will be adjusted in units of whole words.
.IP \(bu
Clicking mouse button 1 with the Control key down will position the
insert cursor in the entry without affecting the selection.
.IP \(bu
If any normal printing characters are typed in an entry, they are
inserted at the point of the insert cursor.
.IP \(bu
The view in the entry can be adjusted by dragging with mouse button 2.
If mouse button 2 is clicked without moving the mouse, the selection
is copied into the entry at the position of the mouse cursor.
.IP \(bu
If the mouse is dragged out of the entry on the left or right sides
while button 1 is pressed, the entry will automatically scroll to
make more text visible (if there is more text off-screen on the side
where the mouse left the window).
.IP \(bu
The Left and Right keys move the insert cursor one character to the
left or right;  they also clear any selection in the entry.
If Left or Right is typed with the Shift key down, then the insertion
cursor moves and the selection is extended to include the new character.
Control-Left and Control-Right move the insert cursor by words, and
Control-Shift-Left and Control-Shift-Right move the insert cursor
by words and also extend the selection.
Control-b and Control-f behave the same as Left and Right, respectively.
.IP \(bu
The Home key and Control-a move the insert cursor to the
beginning of the entry and clear any selection in the entry.
Shift-Home moves the insert cursor to the beginning of the entry
and extends the selection to that point.
.IP \(bu
The End key and Control-e move the insert cursor to the
end of the entry and clear any selection in the entry.
Shift-End moves the cursor to the end and extends the selection
to that point.
.IP \(bu
Control-/ selects all the text in the entry.
.IP \(bu
Control-\e clears any selection in the entry.
.IP \(bu
The standard Tk <<Cut>>, <<Copy>>, <<Paste>>, and <<Clear>>
virtual events operate on the selection in the expected manner.
.IP \(bu
The Delete key deletes the selection, if there is one in the entry.
If there is no selection, it deletes the character to the right of
the insert cursor.
.IP \(bu
The BackSpace key and Control-h delete the selection, if there is one
in the entry.
If there is no selection, it deletes the character to the left of
the insert cursor.
.IP \(bu
Control-d deletes the character to the right of the insert cursor.
.IP \(bu
Control-k deletes all the characters to the right of the insertion
cursor.
.SH "WIDGET STATES"
In the \fBdisabled\fR state, 
the entry cannot be edited and the text cannot be selected.
In the \fBreadonly\fR state,
no insert cursor is displayed and 
the entry cannot be edited 
(specifically: the \fBinsert\fR and \fBdelete\fR commands have no effect).
The \fBdisabled\fR state is the same as \fBreadonly\fR, 
and in addition text cannot be selected.
.PP
Note that changes to the linked \fB\-textvariable\fR will 
still be reflected in the entry, even if it is disabled or readonly.
.PP
Typically, the text is "grayed-out" in the \fBdisabled\fR state,
and a different background is used in the \fBreadonly\fR state. 
.PP
The entry widget sets the \fBinvalid\fR state if revalidation fails,
and clears it whenever validation succeeds.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
ttk_widget(n), entry(n)
.SH KEYWORDS
entry, widget, text field