NAME

       xmessage - display a message or query in a window (X-based /bin/echo)

SYNOPSIS

       xmessage [ -buttons label1[:value1],label2[:value2], ...  ] [ options ] -file filename
       xmessage [ -buttons label1[:value1],label2[:value2], ...  ] [ options ] message ...

DESCRIPTION

       The xmessage program displays a window containing a message from the command line, a file,
       or standard input.  Along the lower edge of the message is row of  buttons;  clicking  the
       left  mouse  button on any of these buttons will cause xmessage to exit.  Which button was
       pressed is returned in the exit status and, optionally, by writing the label of the button
       to standard output.

       The  program  is  typically used by shell scripts to display information to the user or to
       ask the user to make a choice.

       Unless a size is specified, xmessage sizes itself to fit the  message,  up  to  a  maximum
       size.  If the message is too big for the window, xmessage will display scroll bars.

OPTIONS

       These  are the command line options that xmessage understands, in addition to the standard
       ones listed in X(7).

       -buttons button,button,...
               This option will cause xmessage to create  one  button  for  each  comma-separated
               button  argument.  The corresponding resource is buttons.  Each button consists of
               a label optionally followed by a colon and an exit value.  The label is  the  name
               of the Command button widget created and will be the default text displayed to the
               user.  Since this is the name of the widget it may be used to change  any  of  the
               resources  associated  with  that  button.   The  exit  value  will be returned by
               xmessage if that button is selected.  The default  exit  value  is  100  plus  the
               button number.  Buttons are numbered from the left starting with one.  The default
               string if no -buttons option is given is okay:0.

       -default label
               Defines the button with a matching label to be  the  default.   If  not  specified
               there  is  no  default.   The  corresponding  resource is defaultButton.  Pressing
               Return anywhere in the xmessage window will  activate  the  default  button.   The
               default button has a wider border than the others.

       -file filename
               File  to  display.   The  corresponding resource is file.  A filename of `-' reads
               from standard input.  If this option is not supplied, xmessage  will  display  all
               non-option  arguments  in  the  style  of  echo.  Either -file or a message on the
               command line should be provided, but not both.

       -print  This will cause the program to write the label of the button pressed  to  standard
               output.   Equivalent  to setting the printValue resource to TRUE.  This is one way
               to get feedback as to which button was pressed.

       -center Pop up the window at the center of the screen.  Equivalent to setting  the  center
               resource to TRUE.

       -nearmouse
               Pop  up  the  window  near  the mouse cursor.  Equivalent to setting the nearMouse
               resource to TRUE.

       -timeout secs
               Exit with status 0 after secs seconds if the user has not clicked on a button yet.
               The corresponding resource is timeout.

WIDGET HIERARCHY

       Knowing  the  name  and position in the hierarchy of each widget is useful when specifying
       resources for them.  In the following chart, the class and name of each widget is given.

       Xmessage (xmessage)
            Form form
                 Text message
                 Command (label1)
                 Command (label2)
                 .
                 .
                 .

RESOURCES

       The program has a few top-level application resources that allow customizations  that  are
       specific to xmessage.

       file    A String specifying the file to display.

       buttons A String specifying the buttons to display.  See the -buttons command-line option.

       defaultButton
               A String specifying a default button by label.

       printValue
               A  Boolean  value  specifying  whether the label of the button pressed to exit the
               program is written to standard output.  The default is FALSE.

       center  A Boolean value specifying whether to pop up the  window  at  the  center  of  the
               screen.  The default is FALSE.

       nearMouse
               A  Boolean  value  specifying  whether to pop up the window near the mouse cursor.
               The default is FALSE.

       timeout The number of seconds after which to exit with status 0.  The default is 0,  which
               means never time out.

       maxHeight (class Maximum)
               The  maximum  height of the text part of the window in pixels, used if no size was
               specified in the geometry.  The default is 0, which means use 70% of the height of
               the screen.

       maxWidth (class Maximum)
               The  maximum  width  of the text part of the window in pixels, used if no size was
               specified in the geometry.  The default is 0, which means use 70% of the width  of
               the screen.

ACTIONS

       exit(value)
               exit  immediately  with  an  exit status of value (default 0).  This action can be
               used with translations to provide alternate ways of exiting xmessage.

       default-exit()
               exit immediately with the exit status specified by the default button.   If  there
               is no default button, this action has no effect.

EXIT STATUS

       If  it  detects  an  error,  xmessage  returns  1, so this value should not be used with a
       button.

SEE ALSO

       X(7), echo(1), cat(1)

AUTHORS

       Chris Peterson, MIT Project Athena
       Stephen Gildea, X Consortium