Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
NAME
Script - module to build graphic user interface
SYNOPSIS
Script [-v | --version] [-h | --help]
Although Script can be run from the command line, it is
normally spawned by afterstep from within an afterstep
menu file by 'Script':
% cat "~/GNUstep/Library/AfterStep/start/Modules/Script"
Module "Script" Script
MiniPixmap "mini-as.xpm"
DESCRIPTION
Script is a module which allows to build many graphical
applications such as desktop accessories, button panel
with popup menu, modal dialog... At the startup, Script
reads the file which is specified in the command line.
This file contains the script. This script is not
included in the configuration file of AfterStep.
OPTIONS
-h | --help
Print a usage message and exit successfully.
-v | --version
Print version information and exit successfully.
INVOCATION
Script can be invoked by inserting the line `Module Script
name_of_script' a file from start/ dir or a feel file.
All scripts used by Script are located in a directory whom
is specified in base.yourbpp by the command line `Script
Path path_of_the_script_directory'. This can be placed on
a line by itself, if Script is to be spawned during After
Step's initialization, or can be bound to a menu or mouse
button or keystroke to invoke it later. AfterStep will
search directory specified in the ModulePath configuration
option to attempt to locate Script.
Be sure to set ModulePath in your base file to include
Script's path.
ANATOMY OF A SCRIPT
Script uses a particular programming langage. A script is
composed of four parts. Heading contains general charac
teristics of the window and default properties for all
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
widgets. The second part contains instructions whom are
executed at the startup of the script. The third part con
tains periodic tasks whom is executed every 1 second. And
the last one contains the desciption of widgets. A widget
consists of eleven types of items: text labels, single-
line text inputs, radio buttons, checkbox, push buttons,
horizontal and vertical scrollbars, rectangles, popup-
menus, swallowexecs and mini scrollbars.
HEADING OF A SCRIPT
The syntaxe is as follow:
WindowTitle string
This option sets the window title.
WindowSize width height
This option sets window size. width and height are
numerical value.
WindowPosition x y
This option sets window position. x and y are
numerical value.
ForeColor {color}
This option sets the default foreground color for
all widgets.
BackColor {color}
This option sets the default background color for
all widgets.
HilightColor {color}
This option sets the default hilight color for all
widgets.
ShadowColor {color}
This option sets the default shadow color for all
widgets.
Font {font}
This option sets the default font color for all
widgets.
INITIALISATION
This part contains instructions which will be executed at
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
the startup. For example:
Init
Begin
Do "Exec cat tada.voc > /dev/dsp"
WarpPointer 1
Set $ToDo=Restart
End
These instructions are used to play a sound, move the
pointer to widget 1 and to initialize $ToDo to "Restart"
at every startup.
PERIODIC TASKS
This part of the script contains some instructions whom
are executed every second. For example:
Periodic Task
Begin
If (RemainderOfDiv (GetTime) 10)==0 Then
Do {Exec xcalc}
End
This example shows how to launch xcalc every 10 seconds.
MAIN OF A SCRIPT
The second part of the script contains the description for
every widget which will be used in the program. A
description of widget is composed of two parts. Fisrt part
describes initial properties and second part contains
instructions which will be executed when the widget
receives messages. All widgets can send and receive mes
sages. All message are identify by a number. The message
"UserAction" is sent to a widget when user has altered
this one. The syntax is as following:
Widget id # Set the id widget
Property
Type string
Size width height
Position x y
Title { string }
Value int
MaxValue int
MinValue int
Font string
ForeColor { color }
BackColor { color }
HilightColor { color }
ShadowColor { Color }
Flags Hidden and/or NoReliefString
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
The option 'Flags` is used to specify if the widget is
hidden or not and if strings are drew with relief or not.
Main
Case Message of
SingleClic:
Begin
# list of instructions which will be
# executed when widget receives
# message "SingleClic". This message is
# generated by the user.
End
1:
Begin
# list of instructions which will be
# executed when widget receives
# message 1
End
End
LIST OF WIDGETS
There is fifteen types of widgets.
ItemDraw: Display an icon and/or a string.
Title: string to display.
Icon: icon to display.
PushButton: Display push button with an icon and/or a
string.
Title: this string has the following syntax {Title
of the button|Option 1|Option 2| Option3|...|Option
N}. "Option 1|Option 2|...|Option N" is the popup
menu which is displayed when pressing the right
button.
Icon: icon to display.
RadioButton: Display radio button with a string.
Title: title of the radio button.
Value: if Value is equal to 1, the box is checked
else it is not.
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
CheckBox: Display check box with a string.
Title: title of the check box.
Value: if Value is equal to 1, the box is checked
else it is not.
TextField: Display a text input field. The text input
field can be used to edit a single-line string.
Title: content of text field.
Value: position of the insert point.
HScrollBar: Display an horizontal scrollbar.
Value: position of the thumb.
MaxValue: upper limit of Value.
MinValue: lower limit of Value.
VScrollBar: Display a vertical scrollbar.
Value: position of the thumb.
MaxValue: upper limit of Value.
MinValue: lower limit of Value.
MiniScrollBar: Display a very small vertical scrollbar.
Value: position of the thumb.
MaxValue: upper limit of Value.
MinValue: lower limit of Value.
Rectangle: Display a rectangle. This type of widget can
be used to decorate window.
SwallowExec: This type of widget causes Script to spawn
an pro cess, and capture the first window whose
name or resource is equal to Title, and display it in the
script window.
Title: specify the window name which be captured
and displayed in the script window.
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
SwallowExec: specify the command line to execute to
spawn the process. Modules canalso be swallowed.
Value: specify the looking of the border. Possible
value: -1, 0, 1.
PopupMenu: Display a popup menu.
Value: specify what option is selected.
Title: the title has the following syntax: {Option
1|Option 2|...|Option N}."Option 1|Option
2|...|Option N" is the popup menu which is dis
played when pressing mouse button.
HDipstick: Display a horizontal dipstick. This widget can
be used to display disk usage.
Value: specify the current value of the dipstick.
MinValue: specify the minimum value of the dip
stick.
MaxValue: specify the maximum value of the dip
stick.
VDipstick: Display a vertical dipstick.
Value: specify the current value of the dipstick.
MinValue: specify the minimum value of the dip
stick.
MaxValue: specify the maximum value of the dip
stick.
List: Display a list. List lets user to choose between
various options.
Value: specify which option is selected.
Title: title contains options displayed in the
list. The syntaxe is the following: {Option
1|Option 2|...|Option N}. All menus are displayed
at the top of window.
Menu: Display a menu whom lets user to choose a option.
Value: specify which option is selected.
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
Title: title contains options displayed in the
menu. The syntaxe is the following: {Option
1|Option 2|...|Option N}.
INSTRUCTIONS
Here is the description of all instructions.
HideWidget id : hide the widget numbered id.
ShowWidget id: show the widget numbered id.
ChangeValue id1 id2: set the value of the widget numbered
id1 to id2.
ChangeMaxValue id1 id2: set the maximum value of the
widget num bered id1 to id2.
ChangeMinValue id1 id2: set the minimum value of the
widget num bered id1 to id2.
ChangeTitle id1 id2: set the title of the widget numbered
id1 to id2.
ChangeIcon id1 id2: set the icon of the widget numbered
id1 to id2.
ChangeForeColor id1 {color}: set the foreground color of
the wid get numbered id1 to {color}.
ChangeBackColor id1 {color}: set the background color of
the wid get numbered id1 to {color}.
ChangePosition id1 x y: move the widget numbered id1 to
position (x,y).
ChangeSize id1 width height: set the size of the widget
numbered id1 to (width,height).
ChangeFont id1 newfont: set the font of the widget
numbered id1 to newfont.
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
WarpPointer id: warp the mouse pointer into the widget
numbered id.
WriteToFile filename {str1} {str2} etc: write to the file
file name the string which is the concatenation of all
arguments str1, str2, etc.
Do {str1} {str2} etc: execute the command which is the
concatena tion of all arguments str1, str2, etc.
Set $var={str1} {str2} etc: concatenate all arguments to a
string and set the variable $var to this string.
Quit: quit the program.
SendSignal id1 id2: send a message numbered id2 to widget
id1.
SendToScript id_script {str11} {str2} etc: send a message
to the script identified by id_script. The message is the
concatenation of str1, str2...
ARGUMENTS
Most of commands use arguments. There is two kinds of
argument: numbers and strings. A numerical argument is a
value which is between -32000 and +32000. A string is
always surrounded with brace. Variables always begin with
the character "$" and can contains both number and string.
FUNCTIONS
All functions are used as argument. Functions can return
both string and number. The syntax is:
(function argument1 argument2 etc)
Here is the complete list of arguments:
(GetTitle id): return the title of the widget numbered id.
(GetValue id): return the current value of the widget
numbered id.
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(GetOutput {str} int1 int2): executes the command str,
gets the standart output and returns the word which is
in the line int1 and in the position int2. If int2 is
equal to -1, GetOutput returns the complete line.
(NumToHex int): return the hexadecimal value of int.
(HexToNum {str}): return the decimal value of str, str
must be an hexadecimal value.
(Add int1 int2): return the result of (int1+int2).
(Mult int1 int2): return the result of (int1*int2).
(Div int1 int2): return the result of (int1/int2).
(StrCopy {str} int1 int2): return the string whom is
between position int1 and int2. For example,
(StrCopy {Hello} 1 2) returns {He}
(LaunchScript {str}): this function launch the script
named str and return an identification number. This
number is necessary to use these functions SendToScript
and ReceivFromScript. The string str contains the script
name and some arguments.
(GetScriptArgument {int}): this function return the
argument script used in the function LaunchScript. If
int is equal to zero, GetScriptArgument return the name
of the script.
(GetScriptFather): this function return the identification
number of the script father.
(ReceivFromScript {int}): this function return the message
sended by the script numbered int.
(RemainderOfDiv {int1 int2}): this function return the
remainder of the division (int1/int2).
(GetTime): this function return the time in second.
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Script(3.1) Script(3.1)
CONDITIONAL LOOPS
There is three kind of conditional loops. The instruction
"If-Then-Else" has the following syntax:
If $ToDo=={Open xcalc} Then
Do {Exec xcalc &} # List of instructions
Else
Begin
Do {Exec killall xcalc &} # List of instructions
Do {Exec echo xcalc killed > /dev/console}
End
The second part "Else-Begin-End" is optional. If the loop
contains only one instruction, Begin and End can be omit
ted. The instruction "While-Do" as the following syntax:
While $i<5 Do
Begin
Set $i=(Add i 1) # List of instructions
End
Two strings can be compared with "==" and two numbers can
be compared with "<", "<=", "==", ">=", ">". The loop
"For-Do-Begin-End" has the following syntax:
For $i=1 To 20 Do
Begin
Do {Exec xcalc &} # List of instructions
End
AUTHOR
Frederic Cordier (cordier@cui.unige.ch).
CONTRIBUTOR
Guylhem Aznar (guylhem@oeil.qc.ca)
SEE ALSO
afterstep(1)
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