Tk::Checkbutton - Create and manipulate Checkbutton widgets
$checkbutton =
$parent->Checkbutton(?options?);
-activebackground -activeforeground -anchor
-background -bitmap -borderwidth -compound
-cursor -disabledforeground -font -foreground
-highlightbackground -highlightcolor
-highlightthickness -image -justify -padx
-pady -relief -takefocus -text
-textvariable -underline -wraplength
See Tk::options for details of the standard options.
- Name: command
- Class: Command
- Switch: -command
- Specifies a perl/Tk callback to associate with the button. This command is
typically invoked when mouse button 1 is released over the button window.
The button's global variable (-variable option) will be updated
before the command is invoked.
- Name: height
- Class: Height
- Switch: -height
- Specifies a desired height for the button. If an image or bitmap is being
displayed in the button then the value is in screen units (i.e. any of the
forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels); for text it is in lines of text.
If this option isn't specified, the button's desired height is computed
from the size of the image or bitmap or text being displayed in it.
- Name: indicatorOn
- Class: IndicatorOn
- Switch: -indicatoron
- Specifies whether or not the indicator should be drawn. Must be a proper
boolean value. If false, the relief option is ignored and the
widget's relief is always sunken if the widget is selected and raised
otherwise.
- Command-Line
Name: -offrelief
- Database Name:
offRelief
- Database Class:
OffRelief
- Specifies the relief for the checkbutton when the indicator is not drawn
and the checkbutton is off. The default value is raised. By setting
this option to flat and setting -indicatoron false -overrelief
raised, the effect is achieved of having a flat button that raises on
mouse-over and which is depressed when activated. This is the behavior
typically exhibited by the Bold, Italic, and Underline checkbuttons on the
toolbar of a word-processor, for example.
- Name: offValue
- Class: Value
- Switch: -offvalue
- Specifies value to store in the button's associated variable whenever this
button is deselected. Defaults to ``0''.
- Name: onValue
- Class: Value
- Switch: -onvalue
- Specifies value to store in the button's associated variable whenever this
button is selected. Defaults to ``1''.
- Command-Line
Name: -overrelief
- Database Name:
overRelief
- Database Class:
OverRelief
- Specifies an alternative relief for the button, to be used when the mouse
cursor is over the widget. This option can be used to make toolbar
buttons, by configuring -relief flat -overrelief raised. If
the value of this option is the empty string, then no alternative relief
is used when the mouse cursor is over the button. The empty string is the
default value.
- Name: selectColor
- Class: Background
- Switch: -selectcolor
- Specifies a background color to use when the button is selected. If
indicatorOn is true then the color applies to the indicator. Under
Windows, this color is used as the background for the indicator regardless
of the select state. If indicatorOn is false, this color is used as
the background for the entire widget, in place of background or
activeBackground, whenever the widget is selected. If specified as
an empty string then no special color is used for displaying when the
widget is selected.
- Name: selectImage
- Class: SelectImage
- Switch: -selectimage
- Specifies an image to display (in place of the image option) when
the checkbutton is selected. This option is ignored unless the
image option has been specified.
- Name: state
- Class: State
- Switch: -state
- Specifies one of three states for the checkbutton: normal,
active, or disabled. In normal state the checkbutton is
displayed using the foreground and background options. The
active state is typically used when the pointer is over the checkbutton.
In active state the checkbutton is displayed using the
activeForeground and activeBackground options. Disabled
state means that the checkbutton should be insensitive: the default
bindings will refuse to activate the widget and will ignore mouse button
presses. In this state the disabledForeground and background
options determine how the checkbutton is displayed.
- Name: variable
- Class: Variable
- Switch: -variable
- Specifies reference to a variable to set to indicate whether or not this
button is selected. Defaults to
"\$widget->{'Value'}" member of the
widget's hash. In general perl variables are
"undef" unless specifically initialized
which will not match either default -onvalue or default
-offvalue.
- Name: width
- Class: Width
- Switch: -width
- Specifies a desired width for the button. If an image or bitmap is being
displayed in the button then the value is in screen units (i.e. any of the
forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels); for text it is in characters. If
this option isn't specified, the button's desired width is computed from
the size of the image or bitmap or text being displayed in it.
The Checkbutton method creates a new window (given by the
$widget argument) and makes it into a checkbutton
widget. Additional options, described above, may be specified on the command
line or in the option database to configure aspects of the checkbutton such
as its colors, font, text, and initial relief. The checkbutton
command returns its $widget argument. At the time
this command is invoked, there must not exist a window named
$widget, but $widget's
parent must exist.
A checkbutton is a widget that displays a textual string, bitmap
or image and a square called an indicator. If text is displayed, it
must all be in a single font, but it can occupy multiple lines on the screen
(if it contains newlines or if wrapping occurs because of the
wrapLength option) and one of the characters may optionally be
underlined using the underline option. A checkbutton has all of the
behavior of a simple button, including the following: it can display itself
in either of three different ways, according to the state option; it
can be made to appear raised, sunken, or flat; it can be made to flash; and
it invokes a perl/Tk callback whenever mouse button 1 is clicked over the
checkbutton.
In addition, checkbuttons can be selected. If a checkbutton
is selected then the indicator is normally drawn with a selected appearance,
and a Tcl variable associated with the checkbutton is set to a particular
value (normally 1). Under Unix, the indicator is drawn with a sunken relief
and a special color. Under Windows, the indicator is drawn with a check mark
inside. If the checkbutton is not selected, then the indicator is drawn with
a deselected appearance, and the associated variable is set to a different
value (typically 0). Under Unix, the indicator is drawn with a raised relief
and no special color. Under Windows, the indicator is drawn without a check
mark inside. By default, the name of the variable associated with a
checkbutton is the same as the name used to create the checkbutton.
The variable name, and the ``on'' and ``off'' values stored in it, may be
modified with options on the command line or in the option database.
Configuration options may also be used to modify the way the indicator is
displayed (or whether it is displayed at all). By default a checkbutton is
configured to select and deselect itself on alternate button clicks. In
addition, each checkbutton monitors its associated variable and
automatically selects and deselects itself when the variables value changes
to and from the button's ``on'' value.
The Checkbutton method creates a widget object. This object
supports the configure and cget methods described in
Tk::options which can be used to enquire and modify the options described
above. The widget also inherits all the methods provided by the generic
Tk::Widget class.
The following additional methods are available for checkbutton
widgets:
- $checkbutton->deselect
- Deselects the checkbutton and sets the associated variable to its ``off''
value.
- $checkbutton->flash
- Flashes the checkbutton. This is accomplished by redisplaying the
checkbutton several times, alternating between active and normal colors.
At the end of the flash the checkbutton is left in the same normal/active
state as when the command was invoked. This command is ignored if the
checkbutton's state is disabled.
- $checkbutton->invoke
- Does just what would have happened if the user invoked the checkbutton
with the mouse: toggle the selection state of the button and invoke the
perl/Tk callback associated with the checkbutton, if there is one. The
return value is the return value from the perl/Tk callback, or an empty
string if there is no command associated with the checkbutton. This
command is ignored if the checkbutton's state is disabled.
- $checkbutton->select
- Selects the checkbutton and sets the associated variable to its ``on''
value.
- $checkbutton->toggle
- Toggles the selection state of the button, redisplaying it and modifying
its associated variable to reflect the new state.
Tk automatically creates class bindings for checkbuttons that give
them the following default behavior:
- [1]
- On Unix systems, a checkbutton activates whenever the mouse passes over it
and deactivates whenever the mouse leaves the checkbutton. On Mac and
Windows systems, when mouse button 1 is pressed over a checkbutton, the
button activates whenever the mouse pointer is inside the button, and
deactivates whenever the mouse pointer leaves the button.
- [2]
- When mouse button 1 is pressed over a checkbutton, it is invoked (its
selection state toggles and the command associated with the button is
invoked, if there is one).
- [3]
- When a checkbutton has the input focus, the space key causes the
checkbutton to be invoked. Under Windows, there are additional key
bindings; plus (+) and equal (=) select the button, and minus (-)
deselects the button.
If the checkbutton's state is disabled then none of the
above actions occur: the checkbutton is completely non-responsive.
The behavior of checkbuttons can be changed by defining new
bindings for individual widgets or by redefining the class bindings.