What it does?
a(Huge)ComboBox is a pure Tcl megawidget replacing the entry widget of Tk 8.4.
It augments the entry widget with a pick-list and its calling-button.
This pick-list is the famous Hugelist which allows to choose among more than 1,000,000 items without time or memory penalty.
The search is based on the [string match] patterns.
Pros
- it is compatible with the Tk 8.4 entry widget,
- it is based on the Hugelist,
- each subwidget component is configurable,
- it knows to display images,
- it allows a easy search (pattern search, fast smooth scrolling),
- as a Tcl script it is easy to modify.
Cons
- it is a Tcl megawidget (but loading time is not noticeable).
Known bugs
It is a new widget.
How it does?
Pressing the button or sending a navigating key opens a toplevel window that shows a pick-list (a Hugelist and a scrollbar).
Selecting an item updates the entry widget with the item.
A grab on the toplevel allows to detect the focus out and closes the toplevel window.
The
Hugecombo widget and the standard
entry widget are closely related.
Differences are :
- the declaration of the package,
- the pick-list related options,
- the pick-list related operations,
- the pick-list related bindings.
package require Hugecombo |
namespace import ::hugecombo::hugecombo |
hugecombo .hc -values {one two three four} |
.hc list find Huge* |
Class operations
The
hugecombo command, with the usual syntax [
hugecombo pathName args], allows to create hugecombos.
It allows three additional operations:
| hugecombo option |
allows to get or set the widget default values or get the widget options description |
| hugecombo parms |
allows to get or set the class parameters default values |
| hugecombo version |
return the version of the Hugecombo |
This operation allows to get or set the default values of the items or the widget options:
| hugecombo option get |
returns the list of the options with the default values |
| hugecombo option get key |
returns the default value of the option key |
| hugecombo option set key |
returns the description of the option key |
| hugecombo option set key value... |
sets the default value value to the option key |
The defaut values of the options are applied during the creation of a
Hugecombo.
The default values of the
Entry and the
Listbox are used during the class initialization, but not used after that.
(for the new options of the widget, see the section
Widget new options)
hugecombo option get |
set default [hugecombo option get -alternate] |
hugecombo option set -bg beige -alt linen |
hugecombo parms
This operation allows to get or set the default values of the items or the widget options:
| hugecombo parms get key |
returns the default value of the parameter key |
| hugecombo parms set key value... |
sets the default value value to the parameter key |
The allowed parameters are:
| parameter name |
default value |
description |
| TAG1 |
HugeCombo |
megawidget binding class (frame) |
| TAG2 |
ComboList |
entry subwidget binding class |
| TAG3 |
HugeEntry |
hugelist subwidget binding class |
| b:borderwidth |
2 |
button subwidget borderwidth option |
| b:highlightthickness |
0 |
button subwidget highlightthickness option |
| b:image |
_hugecombo_ |
button subwidget image option |
| b:relief |
raised |
button subwidget relief option |
| b:width |
16 |
button subwidget width option |
| e:borderwidth |
0 |
entry subwidget borderwidth option |
| e:highlightthickness |
0 |
entry subwidget highlightthickness option |
| e:relief |
flat |
entry subwidget relief option |
| e:selectborderwidth |
0 |
entry subwidget selectborderwidth option |
| l:activestyle |
none |
hugelist subwidget activestyle option |
| l:borderwidth |
0 |
hugelist subwidget borderwidth option |
| l:highlightthickness |
0 |
hugelist subwidget highlightthickness option |
| l:relief |
flat |
hugelist subwidget relief option |
| t:relief |
raised |
toplevel subwidget relief option |
set default [hugecombo parms get b:relief] |
hugecombo parms set b:image button_image |
hugecombo version
This operation returns the version of the Hugecombo.
set version [hugecombo version] |
Added or modified options
-alternatecolor
This option specifies an alternate color for the even rows of the pick-list.
hugecombo .hc -alternatecolor gray95 -values {one two three four} |
-compound
This option allows to preserve to the left of the
entry the room for an image.
It takes the values
0 or
1.
| 1 |
the image associated with the selected item is copied to the left of the text (default) |
| 0 |
the room is not preserved and the image is not copied |
Hugecombo .hc -compound 1 -values {top left right bottom} |
foreach i {0 1 2 3} \ |
{ |
set text [.hc itemcget $i -text] |
image create photo img_$text -file $text.gif |
.hc itemconfig $i -image img_$text |
} |
-height
This option defines the count of visible rows in the pick-list.
hugecombo .hc -height 4 -values {one two three four} |
-image (or -img)
This option defines or deletes the image displayed at the left of the text.
An empty value delete the image.
The option value is updated at each selection in the pick-list.
The image is not displayed as long as the value of the compound option remains 0
image create photo img -file img.gif |
hugecombo .hc -image img |
-listvariable
This option declares the name of a variable holding the list of values.
set ::listvar {one two three four} |
Hugecombo .hc -listvariable ::listvar |
-rowheight
This option defines the height of a row in the pick-list in any form accepted by Tk_GetPixels.
hugecombo .hc -rowheight 20 -values {one two three four} |
-state
This option has a new value.
Following the value of this option it is possible to edit the text of the widget, select a part of the text, and/or pick a value in the list.
The widget colors are dependant of this option.
| valeur |
edition |
selection |
choice |
color |
| disabled |
no |
no |
no |
disabled |
| normal |
yes |
yes |
yes |
normal |
| picklist |
no |
yes |
yes |
normal |
| readonly |
no |
yes |
no |
readonly |
With the
normal value, the pick-list values can be accessed thru
patterns.
With the
picklist value, the pick-list values can be accessed thru their first letter.
(see the section
Added bindings)
hugecombo .hc -state picklist |
-values
This option declares the list of values.
Hugecombo .hc -values {one two three four} |
Added operations
component
This operation returns the path of the megawidget subwidgets.
Its parameter is the type of the desired subwidget.
| button |
returns the path of the button subwidget |
| canvas |
returns the path of the canvas subwidget |
| entry |
returns the path of the entry subwidget |
| hugelist |
returns the path of the hugelist subwidget |
| listbox |
returns the path of the hugelist subwidget |
| scrollbar |
returns the path of the scrollbar subwidget |
set hl [.hc component list] |
$hl configure -alternate azure |
itemconfig
This operation configures the Hugelist items.
Its parameters are these of the itemconfig operation of the Hugelist.
That is:
- all the Tk listbox parameters,
- a second index to configure an items slice,
- the new -image (or -img) option allows to define an image to the left of the item text,
- the new -text option allows to redefine the text of the item.
.hc itemconfig 0 end -image i_down |
.hc itemconfig 4 -image i_left |
.hc itemconfig 4 -text "[.hc itemcget 4 -text] (externe)" |
itemcget
This operation returns the values of the Hugelist items.
Its parameters are these of the itemcget operation of the Hugelist.
That is:
- all the Tk listbox parameters,
- the new -image (or -img) option that returns the item image,
- the new -text option that returns the text of the item.
set img [.hc itemcget 4 -image] |
set text [.hc itemcget 4 -text] |
list
This operation allows to manage the pick-list.
Options are:
| close |
closes the pick-list |
| curselection |
returns the index of the selected row (or nothing) |
| find pattern |
selects the next item corresponding to the pattern (or do nothing) |
| open |
opens the pick-list |
| select rowindex |
selects the row |
.hc list open |
set cur [.hc list cursel] |
.hc list find Huge* |
.hc list open |
.hc list select end-1 |
load
This operation loads in the entry widget the item associated to the index.
If the index is omitted, the selected item is loaded.
send
This operation sends a symbolic key to the Hugecombo.
Defined symbolic keys are:
| <Escape> |
closes the list |
| <Return> |
copies the selected item and close the list |
| <Control-Return> |
selects the next item corresponding to the pattern |
| <Control-Home> |
selects the first item of the list |
| <Prior> |
selects the last item of the previous page |
| <Up> |
selects the previous item in the list |
| <Down> |
selects the next item in the list |
| <Next> |
selects the first item of the next page |
| <Control-End> |
selects the last item of the list |
.hc send <Control-Return> |
Added bindings
New bindings select an item in the list :
| <Control-Home> |
selects the first item of the list |
| <Prior> |
selects the last item of the previous page |
| <Up> |
selects the previous item in the list |
| <Down> |
selects the next item in the list |
| <Next> |
selects the first item of the next page |
| <Control-End> |
selects the last item of the list |
New bindings allow to acces the values of the pick-list.
With the
normal value of the
state option, <Control-Return> matches an item with a
string match pattern holded by the
entry widget.
Repeating the <Control-Return> matches the next matching item (if exists).
With the
picklist value of the
state option, any key press matches an item with a corresponding first letter.
Repeating the key matches the next matching item (if exists).
| <Control-Return> |
select the next item corresponding to the pattern |
| <KeyPress> |
select the next item corresponding to the key |
New bindings copy the selected item into the
entry widget:
| <Return> |
copies the selected item and close the list |
<Double-1>
inside the list |
copies the selected item and close the list |
ulis' Tcl code
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION