NAME

UI::Dialog::Backend::CDialog

SYNOPSIS

use UI::Dialog::Backend::CDialog;
my $d = new UI::Dialog::Backend::CDialog ( backtitle => 'Demo',
                                           title => 'Default' );

$d->msgbox( title => 'Welcome!', text => 'Welcome one and all!' );

ABSTRACT

UI::Dialog::Backend::CDialog is the UI::Dialog backend for the console dialog variant. While this module is used through UI::Dialog or any other loader module only the compatible methods are ever accessible. However, when using this module directly in your application (as in the SYNOPSIS example) you are given access to all the options and features of the real dialog(1) application.

DESCRIPTION

There are essentially two versions of the console dialog program. One has support for colours as well as extra widgets, while the other does not have either. You can read about the colour support in the TEXT MARKUP section.

EXPORT

    None

INHERITS

    UI::Dialog::Backend

CONSTRUCTOR

new( @options )

EXAMPLE
    my $d = new( title => 'Default Title', backtitle => 'Backtitle',
                 width => 65, height => 20, listheight => 5 );
DESCRIPTION

    This is the Class Constructor method. It accepts a list of key => value pairs and uses them as the defaults when interacting with the various widgets.

RETURNS

    A blessed object reference of the UI::Dialog::Backend::CDialog class.

OPTIONS

The (...)'s after each option indicate the default for the option. An * denotes support by all the widget methods on a per-use policy defaulting to the values decided during object creation.

debug = 0,1,2 (0)
literal = 0,1 (0)
backtitle = "backtitle" ('') *
title = "title" ('') *
height = \d+ (0) *
width = \d+ (0) *
beepbefore = 0,1 (0) *
beepafter = 0,1 (0) *

WIDGET METHODS

yesno( )

EXAMPLE
    if ($d->yesno( text => 'A binary type question?') ) {
        # user pressed yes
    } else {
        # user pressed no or cancel
    }
DESCRIPTION

    Present the end user with a message box that has two buttons, yes and no.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) for a response of YES or FALSE (0) for anything else.

msgbox( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->msgbox( text => 'A simple message' );
DESCRIPTION

    Pesent the end user with a message box that has an OK button.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) for a response of OK or FALSE (0) for anything else.

infobox( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->infobox( text => 'A simple 6 second message.', timeout => 6000 );
DESCRIPTION

    Pesent the end user with a message box for a limited duration of time. The timeout is specified in thousandths of a second, ie: 1000 = 1 second.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) for a response of OK or FALSE (0) for anything else.

password( )

EXAMPLE
    my $string = $d->password( text => 'Enter some (hidden) text.' );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the end user with a text input field that doesn't reveal the input (except to the script) and a message.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

inputbox( )

EXAMPLE
    my $string = $d->inputbox( text => 'Please enter some text.',
                               entry => 'this is the input field' );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the end user with a text input field and a message.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

textbox( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->textbox( path => '/path/to/a/text/file' );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the end user with a simple scrolling box containing the contents of the given text file.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

EXAMPLE
    my $selection1 = $d->menu( text => 'Select one:',
                               list => [ 'tag1', 'item1',
                                         'tag2', 'item2',
                                         'tag3', 'item3' ]
                             );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a selectable list.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR of the chosen tag if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

checklist( )

EXAMPLE
    my @selection = $d->checklist( text => 'Select one:',
                                   list => [ 'tag1', [ 'item1', 0 ],
                                             'tag2', [ 'item2', 1 ],
                                             'tag3', [ 'item3', 1 ] ]
                                 );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a selectable checklist.

RETURNS

    an ARRAY of the chosen tags if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

form( )

EXAMPLE
    my @data = $d->form( text => 'Select one:',
                         list => [ [ 'tag1', 1, 1 ], [ 'item1', 1, 10, 10, 10 ],
                                   [ 'tag2', 2, 1 ], [ 'item2', 2, 10, 10, 10 ],
                                   [ 'tag3', 3, 1 ], [ 'item3', 3, 10, 10, 10 ] ]
                       );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a selectable and potentially editable form.

RETURNS

    an ARRAY of the form data if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

radiolist( )

EXAMPLE
    my $selection = $d->radiolist( text => 'Select one:',
                                   list => [ 'tag1', [ 'item1', 0 ],
                                             'tag2', [ 'item2', 1 ],
                                             'tag3', [ 'item3', 0 ] ]
                                 );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a selectable radiolist.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR of the chosen tag if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

fselect( )

EXAMPLE
    my $text = $d->fselect( path => '/path/to/a/file/or/directory' );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a file selection widget preset with the given path.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

dselect( )

EXAMPLE
    my $text = $d->dselect( path => '/path/to/a/directory' );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a file selection widget preset with the given path. Unlike fselect() this widget will only return a directory selection.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

calendar( )

EXAMPLE
    my $date = $d->calendar( text => 'Pick a date...',
                             day => 1, month => 1, year => 1970 );
    my ($m,$d,$y) = split(/\//,$date);
    
    # or alternatively...
    
    $d->calendar( text => 'Pick a date...',
                  day => 1, month => 1, year => 1970 );
    ($m,$d,$y) = $d->ra();
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a calendar widget preset with the given date or if none is specified, use the current date.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

timebox( )

EXAMPLE
    my $time = $d->timebox( text => 'What time?' );
    my ($h,$m,$s) = split(/\:/,$time);
    
    # or alternatively...
    
    $d->timebox( text => 'What time?',
                 hour => 10, minute => 01, second => 01 );
    my ($h,$m,$s) = $d->ra();
DESCRIPTION

    Present the user with a time widget preset with the current time.

RETURNS

    a SCALAR if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

tailbox( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->tailbox( path => '/path/to/a/text/file' );
DESCRIPTION

    Present the end user with a scrolling box containing the contents of the given text file. The contents of the window is constantly updated in a similar manner to that of the unix tail(1) command.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the response is OK and FALSE (0) for anything else.

gauge_start( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->gauge_start( text => 'gauge...', percentage => 1 );
DESCRIPTION

    Display a meter bar to the user. This get's the widget realized but requires the use of the other gauge_*() methods for functionality.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the widget loaded fine and FALSE (0) for anything else.

gauge_inc( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->gauge_inc( 1 );
DESCRIPTION

    Increment the meter by the given amount.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the widget incremented fine and FALSE (0) for anything else.

gauge_dec( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->gauge_dec( 1 );
DESCRIPTION

    Decrement the meter by the given amount.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the widget incremented fine and FALSE (0) for anything else.

gauge_set( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->gauge_set( 99 );
DESCRIPTION

    Set the meter bar to the given amount.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the widget set fine and FALSE (0) for anything else.

gauge_text( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->gauge_text( 'string' );
DESCRIPTION

    Set the meter bar message to the given string.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the widget set fine and FALSE (0) for anything else.

gauge_stop( )

EXAMPLE
    $d->gauge_stop();
DESCRIPTION

    End the meter bar widget process. One of the flaws with gdialog is that the gauge widget does not close properly and requies the end user to close the gauge window when 100% has been reached. This is the second reason why I'm glad gdialog is going the way of the dodo.

RETURNS

    TRUE (1) if the widget closed fine and FALSE (0) for anything else.

SEE ALSO

PERLDOC
UI::Dialog
UI::Dialog::Console
UI::Dialog::Backend
MAN FILES

dialog(1)

BUGS

Please email the author with any bug reports. Include the name of the module in the subject line.

AUTHOR

Kevin C. Krinke, <kckrinke@opendoorsoftware.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2003  Kevin C. Krinke <kckrinke@opendoorsoftware.com>

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
Lesser General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307 USA