DOKK / manpages / debian 12 / dhex / dhexrc.5.en
DHEXRC(5) File Formats Manual DHEXRC(5)

dhexrcConfiguration File for dhex

dhexrc is the configuration file that specifies the colorscheme and the key translation tab for dhex(1), Upon starting the program, it is being read and parsed. It is being written and/or created after invoking the keyboard setup.

A typical .dhexrc file looks like this:
#DHEXCOLORSCHEME
#VERSION 0
#possible colors are: BLACK,RED,GREEN,YELLOW,BLUE,MAGENTA,CYAN,WHITE
#possible extra flags are: UNDERLINE,REVERSE,BLINK,DIM,BOLD
BRACKETS: FG=BLACK,BG=BLACK,BOLD
HEXFIELD: FG=WHITE,BG=BLACK
INPUT: FG=BLACK,BG=WHITE
CURSOR: FG=WHITE,BG=BLACK
TEXT: FG=WHITE,BG=BLACK,BOLD
MENU_NORMAL: FG=CYAN,BG=BLACK
MENU_HIGHLIGHT: FG=BLACK,BG=CYAN
MENU_HOTKEY: FG=YELLOW,BG=BLACK,BOLD
MENU_HOTKEY_HI: FG=YELLOW,BG=CYAN,BOLD
FRAME: FG=BLUE,BG=BLACK,BOLD
NORMAL_DIFF: FG=YELLOW,BG=BLACK
CURSOR_DIFF: FG=YELLOW,BG=WHITE,BOLD
HEADLINE: FG=BLUE,BG=BLACK,BOLD
HEADER: FG=BLACK,BG=CYAN
KEYF1:1b 5b 31 31 7e
KEYF2:1b 5b 31 32 7e
KEYF3:1b 5b 31 33 7e
KEYF4:1b 5b 31 34 7e
KEYF5:1b 5b 31 35 7e
KEYF6:1b 5b 31 37 7e
KEYF7:1b 5b 31 38 7e
KEYF8:1b 5b 31 39 7e
KEYF9:1b 5b 32 30 7e
KEYF10:1b 5b 32 31 7e
KEYESC:1b
KEYBACKSPACE:08
KEYDEL:7f
KEYENTER:0a
KEYTAB:09
KEYUP:1b 5b 41
KEYDOWN:1b 5b 42
KEYRIGHT:1b 5b 43
KEYLEFT:1b 5b 44
KEYPGUP:1b 5b 35 7e
KEYPGDOWN:1b 5b 36 7e
KEYHOME:1b 5b 37 7e
KEYEND:1b 5b 38 7e

In the example above, the dhexrc file has three distinct sections: A comment section, a color section and a key conversion tab section.

Comments are indicated with a '#' character. Everything afterwards in a line is being ignored when parsing the file

There are 14 color groups. Each of the color group has a foreground color, a background color and some extra flags, coming from ncurses. The foreground color is being defined by FG= while the background color is being defined by BG=. They and the extra flags are being separated by ','. Possible colors are BLACK, GREEN, RED, YELLOW, BROWN, BLUE, MAGENTA, WHITE, and exclusively as foreground colors LIGHTBLACK, LIGHTGREEN, LIGHTRED, LIGHTYELLOW, LIGHTBROWN, LIGHTBLUE, LIGHTMAGENTA and LIGHTWHITE. Valid extra flags are UNDERLINE, REVERSE, BLINK, DIM and BOLD.

The color pairs are as followed:

BRACKETS:
This specifies the color for the brackets around text fields.
HEXFIELD:
This specifies the color in which the file's content is being shown.
INPUT:
When entering text, it is in this color.
CURSOR:
The cursor in the hex field has this color.
TEXT:
This color is for informative text as well as for text fields which are not taking input yet.
MENU_NORMAL:
Menu items which are not selected belong into this color group.
MENU_HIGHLIGHT:
The selected menu item gets this special color.
MENU_HOTKEY:
Hotkeys for menu items are visually distinct from the rest of the text because they have this color.
MENU_HOTKEY_HI:
If the actual menu item has a hotkey, it is shown in this color.
FRAME:
Some screens have frames. Those frames have this color.
NORMAL_DIFF:
Differences in the file's content (either because of changes or because dhex is running in diff mode) are indicated by this color.
CURSOR_DIFF:
If the cursor is on one of those differences, it will have this color.
HEADLINE:
On top of the screen, there is a headline. Which is shown in this color.
HEADER:
In the headline, there are brackets. Within those brackets is the header. It tells you what the window is all about.

When pressing a "standard" key, something which can be mapped directly to an ascii character, only this character will end up in ncurses' buffer. However, pressing special keys like (for example) F1 or ALT+6 will produce longer sequences. Mapping those sequences back to a specific key is the job of the key conversion tab. (I was dissatisfied how ncurses handled this on its own). The sequences are called (in order) KEYF1, KEYF2, KEYF3, KEYF4, KEYF5, KEYF6, KEYF7, KEYF8, KEYF9, KEYF10, KEYESC, KEYBACKSPACE, KEYDEL, KEYENTER, KEYTAB, KEYUP, KEYDOWN, KEYRIGHT, KEYLEFT, KEYPGUP, KEYPGDOWN, KEYHOME and KEYEND.

Sequences itself are a string of lower case hex-values, each two nibbles long. Currently, there is no way of adding an alternative sequence to the same key.

It is possible that the sequence made up of hex values does not REALLY belong to the key. (For example if F2 was pressed in the setup program when F1 was prompted). However, when this sequence ends up in the ncurses buffer, it is being interpreted as if that key was pressed.

Report bugs to ⟨dettus@dettus.net⟩. Make sure to include DHEX somewhere in the subject.

Written by Thomas Dettbarn

dhex(1), dhex_markers(5), dhex_searchlog(5)

May 12, 2012 Debian