NAME

       gspl-pmenu - prompt user for selection from list

SYNOPSIS

       gspl-pmenu [ -h header ] [ -d delim ] [ -s start ] [ -f file ] [ -N num ] [ -F ] [ -n ] [
       -m ]

DESCRIPTION

       gspl-pmenu is a simple curses-based program to select one (or more) of a list of options
       from within a shell script.

       The options are supplied on standard input, typically in the form:

        item1<tab>Description1
        item2<tab>Description2

       in multiple columns if possible, with one of the items (often the first) highlighted and
       the user is invited to move the highlight to a selected item if appropriate using the
       cursor keys and then press ENTER.

       The selected row is then output on standard output.

       When the options are displayed on the screen, the cursor keys, together with h, l, k and
       <j> may be used to move left, right, up and down respectively. The numeric keypad in
       numeric mode may also be used.

       If available, Next page, Previous page or N and P may be used to select the next column or
       screenful. Any other character may be used to select the next row starting with that
       character.

       When the correct entry has been selected, press ENTER to select it. Alternatively press q
       to quit with no output.

       The behaviour of gspl-pmenu may be modified by means of various options.

OPTIONS

       -h text Display a heading to be centred at the top of the screen. The heading may consist
               of more than one line, each of which is centred separately. When gspl-pmenu is
               invoked from the shell, the heading should be enclosed in quotes.

               As an alternative, the header may be provided in the standard input. To signify
               this, the text should be a single = sign thus:

                -h =

               The standard input will be read up to the first blank line to constitute the
               header, and thereafter the selection rows.

       -d char Use the specified char as a delimiter rather than tab.

       -s num  Initialise the display to select the given item rather than the first on entry.

       -f file Take input from the specified file rather than standard input.

       -N num  Enables multiple selection menus to be provided for in one file. The standard
               input is read up to the first line consisting of the given number (possibly
               negative) and a colon. Input is terminated by a blank line. Thus the input file
               might look like:

                1:
                optiona1       description1
                optiona2       description2
                options3       description3

                2:
                optionb1       description4
                optionb2       description5
                optionb3       description6

               With the appropriate set of options and descriptions selected by

                -N 1

               or

                -N 2

               If headers are to be supplied in the file using "-h =", then these should follow
               the numbers with a blank line, thus:

                1:
                Header for first group
                of selections

                optiona1       description1
                optiona2       description2
                options3       description3

                2:
                Header for second group

                optionb1       description4
                optionb2       description5
                optionb3       description6

       -F      Just return the first field of the selection "the option" on exit, not the whole
               line.

       -n      Return the number (starting at 1) of the row selected on exit, rather than the
               text of the line.

       -m      Enable multi-selection mode. In this mode several lines may be selected, by moving
               to each line and pressing space. Pressing space again deselects the line. A plus
               sign appears against each choice to indicate selection.

               When all have been selected, press q to quit.

               The ENTER key behaves slightly differently. If the last action was to select or
               deselect an entry, then the program exits as if q had been pressed. If the last
               character was not a space, then the current line is selected or deselected.

   Help files
       Help files may be provided for each item in a list by providing text files in the
       directory from which gspl-pmenu is run with names:

        item1.menuhelp
        item2/Menuhelp

       where "item1" etc are the first field in each choice.

       To provide a "catch all" for items without help files, a help file named

        Menu-summary

       may be provided.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  This is free software. You may
       redistribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by
       law.

AUTHOR

       John M Collins, Xi Software Ltd.