NAME

       term::interact::menu - Terminal widget, menu

SYNOPSIS

       package require Tcl  8.4

       package require term::interact::menu  ?0.1?

       term::interact::menu object dict ?options...?

       object interact

       object done

       object clear

       object configure

       object configure option

       object configure option value...

       object cget option

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION

       This package provides a class for the creation of a simple menu control.

CLASS API

       The  package  exports  a  single command, the class command, enabling the creation of menu
       instances. Its API is:

       term::interact::menu object dict ?options...?
              This command creates a new menu object with the name object,  initializes  it,  and
              returns the fully qualified name of the object command as its result.

              The  argument  is  the menu to show, possibly followed by configuration options and
              their values. The options are explained in the section Configuration. The menu is a
              dictionary maping labels to symbolic action codes.

OBJECT API

       The objects created by the class command provide the methods listed below:

       object interact
              Shows the menu in the screen at the configured location and starts interacting with
              it. This opens its own event loop for the processing of  incoming  characters.  The
              method  returns  when  the interaction has completed. See section Interaction for a
              description of the possible interaction.

              The method returns the symbolic action of the menu item selected by the user at the
              end of the interaction.

       object done
              This  method can be used by user supplied actions to terminate the interaction with
              the object.

       object clear
              This method can be used by user supplied  actions  to  remove  the  menu  from  the
              terminal.

       object configure

       object configure option

       object configure option value...

       object cget option
              Standard methods to retrieve and configure the options of the menu.

CONFIGURATION

       A menu instance recognizes the following options:

       -in chan
              Specifies the channel to read character sequences from. Defaults to stdin.

       -out chan
              Specifies the channel to write the menu contents to. Defaults to stdout.

       -column int
              Specifies  the  column  of  the  terminal where the left margin of the menu display
              should appear. Defaults to 0, i.e. the left-most column.

       -line int
              Specifies the line of the terminal where the top margin of the menu display  should
              appear. Defaults to 0, i.e. the top-most line.

       -height int
              Specifies  the  number of lines of text to show at most in the display. Defaults to
              25.

       -actions dict
              Specifies a dictionary containing additional actions, using character sequences  as
              keys.  Note  that these sequences cannot override the hardwired sequences described
              in section Interaction.

       -hilitleft int

       -hilitright int
              By default the entire selected menu entry is highlighted in revers output. However,
              when present these two options restrict revers dispay to the specified sub-range of
              the entry.

       -framed bool
              By default the menu is shown using only header and footer  out  of  characters  box
              graphics. If this flag is set the menu is fully enclosed in a box.

INTERACTION

       A  menu  object  recognizes  the control sequences listed below and acts as described. The
       user can supply more control sequences to act on via the configuration, but is not able to
       overide these defaults.

       Cursor Up
              The  selection  is  moved  up  one  entry, except if the first entry of the menu is
              already selected.

       Cursor Down
              The selection is moved down one entry, except if the last  entry  of  the  menu  is
              already selected.

       Enter/Return
              The interaction with the object is terminated.

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK

       This  document,  and  the  package  it  describes, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other
       problems.   Please  report  such  in  the   category   term   of   the   Tcllib   Trackers
       [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist].  Please also report any ideas for enhancements you
       may have for either package and/or documentation.

       When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u.

       Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can
       be  made  by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation, and then
       using the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.

KEYWORDS

       control, menu, terminal, text display

CATEGORY

       Terminal control

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2006 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>