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NAME

       options - Standard options supported by widgets
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DESCRIPTION

       This  manual  entry describes the common configuration options supported by widgets in the
       Tk toolkit.  Every widget does not  necessarily  support  every  option  (see  the  manual
       entries  for  individual  widgets  for  a  list  of the standard options supported by that
       widget), but if a widget does support an option with one of the names listed  below,  then
       the option has exactly the effect described below.

       In the descriptions below, “Command-Line Name” refers to the switch used in class commands
       and configure widget commands to set this value.  For example, if an option's command-line
       switch is -foreground and there exists a widget .a.b.c, then the command
              .a.b.c  configure  -foreground black
       may  be used to specify the value black for the option in the widget .a.b.c.  Command-line
       switches may be abbreviated, as long as the abbreviation is unambiguous.  “Database  Name”
       refers  to the option's name in the option database (e.g. in .Xdefaults files).  “Database
       Class” refers to the option's class value in the option database.

       Command-Line Name:-activebackground
       Database Name:  activeBackground
       Database Class: Foreground

              Specifies background color to use when drawing  active  elements.   An  element  (a
              widget or portion of a widget) is active if the mouse cursor is positioned over the
              element and pressing a mouse button will cause some action  to  occur.   If  strict
              Motif  compliance  has  been requested by setting the tk_strictMotif variable, this
              option will normally be ignored;  the normal background color will be used instead.
              For  some  elements on Windows and Macintosh systems, the active color will only be
              used while mouse button 1 is pressed over the element.

       Command-Line Name:-activeborderwidth
       Database Name:  activeBorderWidth
       Database Class: BorderWidth

              Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the 3-D border drawn  around
              active  elements.  See above for definition of active elements.  The value may have
              any of the forms  acceptable  to  Tk_GetPixels.   This  option  is  typically  only
              available in widgets displaying more than one element at a time (e.g. menus but not
              buttons).

       Command-Line Name:-activeforeground
       Database Name:  activeForeground
       Database Class: Background

              Specifies foreground color to use when drawing  active  elements.   See  above  for
              definition of active elements.

       Command-Line Name:-anchor
       Database Name:  anchor
       Database Class: Anchor

              Specifies  how  the  information  in  a  widget  (e.g.  text  or a bitmap) is to be
              displayed in the widget.  Must be one of the values n, ne, e, se, s, sw, w, nw,  or
              center.   For  example,  nw  means  display  the information such that its top-left
              corner is at the top-left corner of the widget.

       Command-Line Name:-background or -bg
       Database Name:  background
       Database Class: Background

              Specifies the normal background color to use when displaying the widget.

       Command-Line Name:-bitmap
       Database Name:  bitmap
       Database Class: Bitmap

              Specifies a bitmap to display in the widget, in any  of  the  forms  acceptable  to
              Tk_GetBitmap.   The  exact  way in which the bitmap is displayed may be affected by
              other options such as -anchor or -justify.  Typically, if this option is  specified
              then  it  overrides  other  options  that specify a textual value to display in the
              widget but this is controlled by the -compound option; the -bitmap  option  may  be
              reset to an empty string to re-enable a text display.  In widgets that support both
              -bitmap and -image options, -image will usually override -bitmap.

       Command-Line Name:-borderwidth or -bd
       Database Name:  borderWidth
       Database Class: BorderWidth

              Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width  of  the  3-D  border  to  draw
              around  the  outside  of  the widget (if such a border is being drawn;  the -relief
              option typically determines this).  The value may also be  used  when  drawing  3-D
              effects  in  the  interior  of  the  widget.   The  value may have any of the forms
              acceptable to Tk_GetPixels.

       Command-Line Name:-cursor
       Database Name:  cursor
       Database Class: Cursor

              Specifies the mouse cursor to be used for the widget.  The value may  have  any  of
              the  forms  acceptable  to  Tk_GetCursor.   In  addition,  if  an  empty  string is
              specified, it indicates that the widget should  defer  to  its  parent  for  cursor
              specification.

       Command-Line Name:-compound
       Database Name:  compound
       Database Class: Compound

              Specifies  if  the  widget should display text and bitmaps/images at the same time,
              and if so, where the bitmap/image should be placed relative to the text.   Must  be
              one  of  the  values  none,  bottom, top, left, right, or center.  For example, the
              (default) value none specifies that the bitmap or  image  should  (if  defined)  be
              displayed  instead  of  the text, the value left specifies that the bitmap or image
              should be displayed to the left of the text, and the value  center  specifies  that
              the bitmap or image should be displayed on top of the text.

       Command-Line Name:-disabledforeground
       Database Name:  disabledForeground
       Database Class: DisabledForeground

              Specifies  foreground  color to use when drawing a disabled element.  If the option
              is specified as an  empty  string  (which  is  typically  the  case  on  monochrome
              displays),  disabled  elements  are drawn with the normal foreground color but they
              are dimmed by drawing them with a stippled fill pattern.

       Command-Line Name:-exportselection
       Database Name:  exportSelection
       Database Class: ExportSelection

              Specifies whether or not a selection in the widget should also be the X  selection.
              The  value  may  have  any  of  the forms accepted by Tcl_GetBoolean, such as true,
              false, 0, 1, yes, or no.  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.  The default is usually for widgets to export selections.

       Command-Line Name:-font
       Database Name:  font
       Database Class: Font

              Specifies  the font to use when drawing text inside the widget.  The value may have
              any of the forms described in the font manual page under FONT DESCRIPTION.

       Command-Line Name:-foreground or -fg
       Database Name:  foreground
       Database Class: Foreground

              Specifies the normal foreground color to use when displaying the widget.

       Command-Line Name:-highlightbackground
       Database Name:  highlightBackground
       Database Class: HighlightBackground

              Specifies the color to display in the traversal highlight region  when  the  widget
              does not have the input focus.

       Command-Line Name:-highlightcolor
       Database Name:  highlightColor
       Database Class: HighlightColor

              Specifies  the  color  to  use  for the traversal highlight rectangle that is drawn
              around the widget when it has the input focus.

       Command-Line Name:-highlightthickness
       Database Name:  highlightThickness
       Database Class: HighlightThickness

              Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the highlight  rectangle  to
              draw  around  the outside of the widget when it has the input focus.  The value may
              have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels.  If the value is zero,  no  focus
              highlight is drawn around the widget.

       Command-Line Name:-image
       Database Name:  image
       Database Class: Image

              Specifies  an image to display in the widget, which must have been created with the
              image create command.  Typically,  if  the  -image  option  is  specified  then  it
              overrides  other  options  that specify a bitmap or textual value to display in the
              widget, though this is controlled by the -compound option; the -image option may be
              reset to an empty string to re-enable a bitmap or text display.

       Command-Line Name:-insertbackground
       Database Name:  insertBackground
       Database Class: Foreground

              Specifies  the  color  to  use  as  background in the area covered by the insertion
              cursor.  This color will normally override either the  normal  background  for  the
              widget  (or the selection background if the insertion cursor happens to fall in the
              selection).

       Command-Line Name:-insertborderwidth
       Database Name:  insertBorderWidth
       Database Class: BorderWidth

              Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width  of  the  3-D  border  to  draw
              around  the  insertion  cursor.   The value may have any of the forms acceptable to
              Tk_GetPixels.

       Command-Line Name:-insertofftime
       Database Name:  insertOffTime
       Database Class: OffTime

              Specifies a non-negative integer value indicating the number  of  milliseconds  the
              insertion  cursor  should remain “off” in each blink cycle.  If this option is zero
              then the cursor does not blink:  it is on all the time.

       Command-Line Name:-insertontime
       Database Name:  insertOnTime
       Database Class: OnTime

              Specifies a non-negative integer value indicating the number  of  milliseconds  the
              insertion cursor should remain “on” in each blink cycle.

       Command-Line Name:-insertwidth
       Database Name:  insertWidth
       Database Class: InsertWidth

              Specifies  a   value indicating the total width of the insertion cursor.  The value
              may have any of the forms  acceptable  to  Tk_GetPixels.   If  a  border  has  been
              specified  for  the  insertion  cursor  (using  the -insertborderwidth option), the
              border will be drawn inside the width specified by the -insertwidth option.

       Command-Line Name:-jump
       Database Name:  jump
       Database Class: Jump

              For widgets with a  slider  that  can  be  dragged  to  adjust  a  value,  such  as
              scrollbars, this option determines when notifications are made about changes in the
              value.   The  option's  value  must  be  a  boolean  of  the   form   accepted   by
              Tcl_GetBoolean.  If the value is false, updates are made continuously as the slider
              is dragged.  If the value is true, updates are delayed until the  mouse  button  is
              released  to  end the drag;  at that point a single notification is made (the value
              “jumps” rather than changing smoothly).

       Command-Line Name:-justify
       Database Name:  justify
       Database Class: Justify

              When there are multiple lines of text displayed in a widget, this option determines
              how  the  lines  line  up  with each other.  Must be one of left, center, or right.
              Left means that the lines' left edges all line up, center  means  that  the  lines'
              centers are aligned, and right means that the lines' right edges line up.

       Command-Line Name:-orient
       Database Name:  orient
       Database Class: Orient

              For  widgets  that  can  lay  themselves  out  with either a horizontal or vertical
              orientation, such as scrollbars, this option specifies which orientation should  be
              used.  Must be either horizontal or vertical or an abbreviation of one of these.

       Command-Line Name:-padx
       Database Name:  padX
       Database Class: Pad

              Specifies  a  non-negative value indicating how much extra space to request for the
              widget in the X-direction.  The value may have  any  of  the  forms  acceptable  to
              Tk_GetPixels.  When computing how large a window it needs, the widget will add this
              amount to the width it would normally need (as  determined  by  the  width  of  the
              things displayed in the widget);  if the geometry manager can satisfy this request,
              the widget will end up with extra internal space to the left and/or right  of  what
              it  displays  inside.  Most widgets only use this option for padding text:  if they
              are displaying a bitmap or image, then they usually ignore padding options.

       Command-Line Name:-pady
       Database Name:  padY
       Database Class: Pad

              Specifies a non-negative value indicating how much extra space to request  for  the
              widget  in  the  Y-direction.   The  value  may have any of the forms acceptable to
              Tk_GetPixels.  When computing how large a window it needs, the widget will add this
              amount  to  the  height  it would normally need (as determined by the height of the
              things displayed in the widget);  if the geometry manager can satisfy this request,
              the  widget  will  end  up  with  extra  internal  space above and/or below what it
              displays inside.  Most widgets only use this option for padding text:  if they  are
              displaying a bitmap or image, then they usually ignore padding options.

       Command-Line Name:-relief
       Database Name:  relief
       Database Class: Relief

              Specifies  the  3-D  effect  desired for the widget.  Acceptable values are raised,
              sunken, flat, ridge, solid, and groove.  The value indicates how  the  interior  of
              the  widget  should appear relative to its exterior;  for example, raised means the
              interior of the widget should appear to protrude from the screen, relative  to  the
              exterior of the widget.

       Command-Line Name:-repeatdelay
       Database Name:  repeatDelay
       Database Class: RepeatDelay

              Specifies  the  number  of milliseconds a button or key must be held down before it
              begins  to  auto-repeat.   Used,  for  example,  on  the  up-  and  down-arrows  in
              scrollbars.

       Command-Line Name:-repeatinterval
       Database Name:  repeatInterval
       Database Class: RepeatInterval

              Used  in  conjunction  with  -repeatdelay:   once  auto-repeat  begins, this option
              determines the number of milliseconds between auto-repeats.

       Command-Line Name:-selectbackground
       Database Name:  selectBackground
       Database Class: Foreground

              Specifies the background color to use when displaying selected items.

       Command-Line Name:-selectborderwidth
       Database Name:  selectBorderWidth
       Database Class: BorderWidth

              Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width  of  the  3-D  border  to  draw
              around  selected  items.   The  value  may  have  any  of  the  forms acceptable to
              Tk_GetPixels.

       Command-Line Name:-selectforeground
       Database Name:  selectForeground
       Database Class: Background

              Specifies the foreground color to use when displaying selected items.

       Command-Line Name:-setgrid
       Database Name:  setGrid
       Database Class: SetGrid

              Specifies a boolean value that determines whether this widget controls the resizing
              grid  for  its  top-level  window.   This option is typically used in text widgets,
              where the information in the widget has a natural size (the size  of  a  character)
              and  it  makes  sense  for  the window's dimensions to be integral numbers of these
              units.  These natural window sizes form a grid.  If the -setgrid option is  set  to
              true then the widget will communicate with the window manager so that when the user
              interactively resizes the top-level window that contains the widget, the dimensions
              of  the window will be displayed to the user in grid units and the window size will
              be constrained to integral numbers of grid units.  See the section GRIDDED GEOMETRY
              MANAGEMENT in the wm manual entry for more details.

       Command-Line Name:-takefocus
       Database Name:  takeFocus
       Database Class: TakeFocus

              Determines  whether  the  window accepts the focus during keyboard traversal (e.g.,
              Tab and Shift-Tab).  Before setting the focus to a window,  the  traversal  scripts
              consult  the  value  of  the -takefocus option.  A value of 0 means that the window
              should be skipped entirely during keyboard traversal.   1  means  that  the  window
              should  receive  the  input  focus  as  long  as  it is viewable (it and all of its
              ancestors are mapped).  An empty value for the  option  means  that  the  traversal
              scripts make the decision about whether or not to focus on the window:  the current
              algorithm is to skip the window if it is disabled, if it has no key bindings, or if
              it  is  not  viewable.  If the value has any other form, then the traversal scripts
              take the value, append the name of the window to it (with a separator  space),  and
              evaluate  the resulting string as a Tcl script.  The script must return 0, 1, or an
              empty string:  a 0 or 1 value specifies whether the window will receive  the  input
              focus,  and an empty string results in the default decision described above.  Note:
              this interpretation of the option is defined  entirely  by  the  Tcl  scripts  that
              implement traversal:  the widget implementations ignore the option entirely, so you
              can change its meaning if you redefine the keyboard traversal scripts.

       Command-Line Name:-text
       Database Name:  text
       Database Class: Text

              Specifies a string to be displayed inside the widget.  The way in which the  string
              is  displayed  depends  on  the  particular  widget  and may be determined by other
              options, such as -anchor or -justify.

       Command-Line Name:-textvariable
       Database Name:  textVariable
       Database Class: Variable

              Specifies the name of a global variable.  The value  of  the  variable  is  a  text
              string  to  be displayed inside the widget;  if the variable value changes then the
              widget will automatically update itself to reflect the new value.  The way in which
              the  string  is displayed in the widget depends on the particular widget and may be
              determined by other options, such as -anchor or -justify.

       Command-Line Name:-troughcolor
       Database Name:  troughColor
       Database Class: Background

              Specifies the color to use for the rectangular trough  areas  in  widgets  such  as
              scrollbars  and  scales.   This option is ignored for scrollbars on Windows (native
              widget does not recognize this option).

       Command-Line Name:-underline
       Database Name:  underline
       Database Class: Underline

              Specifies the integer index of a character to underline in the widget.  This option
              is  used  by  the default bindings to implement keyboard traversal for menu buttons
              and menu entries.  0 corresponds to the first character of the  text  displayed  in
              the widget, 1 to the next character, and so on.

       Command-Line Name:-wraplength
       Database Name:  wrapLength
       Database Class: WrapLength

              For  widgets that can perform word-wrapping, this option specifies the maximum line
              length.  Lines that would exceed this length are wrapped onto  the  next  line,  so
              that  no  line  is longer than the specified length.  The value may be specified in
              any of the standard forms for screen distances.  If this  value  is  less  than  or
              equal  to  0 then no wrapping is done:  lines will break only at newline characters
              in the text.

       Command-Line Name:-xscrollcommand
       Database Name:  xScrollCommand
       Database Class: ScrollCommand

              Specifies the prefix for a command used to communicate with horizontal  scrollbars.
              When the view in the widget's window changes (or whenever anything else occurs that
              could change the display in a scrollbar, such as a change in the total size of  the
              widget's  contents),  the  widget  will generate a Tcl command by concatenating the
              scroll command and two numbers.  Each of the numbers is a fraction between 0 and 1,
              which  indicates  a  position  in  the  document.  0 indicates the beginning of the
              document, 1 indicates the end, .333 indicates a position one third the way  through
              the document, and so on.  The first fraction indicates the first information in the
              document that is visible in the window,  and  the  second  fraction  indicates  the
              information  just  after  the  last  portion  that is visible.  The command is then
              passed to the Tcl interpreter for execution.  Typically the -xscrollcommand  option
              consists  of  the  path  name  of  a  scrollbar  widget  followed  by  “set”,  e.g.
              “.x.scrollbar set”: this will cause the scrollbar to be updated whenever  the  view
              in  the  window  changes.  If this option is not specified, then no command will be
              executed.

       Command-Line Name:-yscrollcommand
       Database Name:  yScrollCommand
       Database Class: ScrollCommand

              Specifies the prefix for a command used to communicate  with  vertical  scrollbars.
              This  option  is treated in the same way as the -xscrollcommand option, except that
              it is used for vertical scrollbars and is provided by widgets that support vertical
              scrolling.   See  the description of -xscrollcommand for details on how this option
              is used.

SEE ALSO

       colors, cursors, font

KEYWORDS

       class, name, standard option, switch