NAME

Term::Choose::Util - TUI-related functions for selecting directories, files, numbers and subsets of lists.

VERSION

Version 0.140

SYNOPSIS

Functional interface:

use Term::Choose::Util qw( choose_a_directory );

my $chosen_directory = choose_a_directory();

Object-oriented interface:

use Term::Choose::Util;

my $ob = Term::Choose->new ();

my $chosen_directory = $ob->choose_a_directory();

See "SUBROUTINES".

DESCRIPTION

This module provides TUI-related functions for selecting directories, files, numbers and subsets of lists.

EXPORT

Nothing by default.

SUBROUTINES

Values in brackets are default values.

Options are passed as a hash reference. The options argument is the last (or the only) argument.

Options available for all subroutines

• back

  Customize the string of the menu entry "back".

  Default: BACK

• clear_screen

  If enabled, the screen is cleared before the output.

  Values: [0],1,2.

• color

  Setting color to 1 enables the support for color and text formatting escape sequences except for the current selected element. If set to 2, also for the current selected element the color support is enabled (inverted colors).

  Values: [0],1,2.

• confirm

  Customize the string of the menu entry "confirm".

  Default: CONFIRM.

• cs_label

  The value of cs-label (current selection label) is a string which is placed in front of the current selection.

  Defaults: choose_directories: 'Chosen Dirs: ', choose_a_directory: 'Directory: ', choose_a_file: 'File: '. For choose_a_number, choose_a_subset and settings_menu the default is undefined.

  The current-selection output is placed between the info string and the prompt string.

• hide_cursor

  Hide the cursor

  Values: 0,[1].

• info

  A string placed on top of of the output.

  Default: undef

• margin

  The option margin allows one to set a margin on all four sides.

  margin expects a reference to an array with four elements in the following order:

  - top margin (number of terminal lines)

  - right margin (number of terminal columns)

  - botton margin (number of terminal lines)

  - left margin (number of terminal columns)

  margin does not affect the info string. To add margins to the info string see tabs_info.

  margin changes the default values of tabs_prompt.

  Allowed values: 0 or greater. Elements beyond the fourth are ignored.

  Default: undef

• mouse

  Enable the mouse mode. An item can be chosen with the left mouse key, the right mouse key can be used instead of the SpaceBar key.

  Values: [0],1.

• prompt

  A string placed on top of the available choices. prompt set to the empty string means no prompt line.

  Default: Your choice:

• tabs_info

  The option tabs_info allows one to insert spaces at the beginning and the end of info lines.

  tabs_info expects a reference to an array with one to three elements:

  - the first element (initial tab) sets the number of spaces inserted at beginning of paragraphs

  - the second element (subsequent tab) sets the number of spaces inserted at the beginning of all broken lines apart from the beginning of paragraphs

  - the third element sets the number of spaces used as a right margin.

  Allowed values: 0 or greater. Elements beyond the third are ignored.

  Default: undef

  default: If margin is defined, the initial tab and the subsequent tab are set to left-margin and the right margin is et to right-margin. If margin is not defined the default is undefined.

• tabs_prompt

  The option tabs_prompt allows one to insert spaces at the beginning and the end of prompt lines.

  tabs_prompt expects a reference to an array with one to three elements:

  - the first element (initial tab) sets the number of spaces inserted at beginning of paragraphs

  - the second element (subsequent tab) sets the number of spaces inserted at the beginning of all broken lines apart from the beginning of paragraphs

  - the third element sets the number of spaces used as a right margin.

  Allowed values: 0 or greater. Elements beyond the third are ignored.

  default: If margin is defined, the initial tab and the subsequent tab are set to left-margin and the right margin is set to right-margin. choose-directories and choose-a-subset: +2 for the subsequent tab. Else the default is undefined.

new

$ob = Term::Choose::Util->new( { mouse => 1, ... } );

Returns a new Term::Choose::Util object.

Options: all

choose_a_directory

$chosen_directory = choose_a_directory( { layout => 1, ... } )

With choose_a_directory the user can browse through the directory tree and choose a directory which is then returned.

To move around in the directory tree:

- select a directory and press Return to enter in the selected directory.

- choose the ".." (parent directory) menu entry to move upwards.

To return the current working-directory as the chosen directory choose the "confirm" menu entry.

The "back" menu entry causes choose_a_directory to return nothing.

These options can be passed in a hash-reference:

• alignment

  Elements in columns are aligned to the left if set to 0, aligned to the right if set to 1 and centered if set to 2.

  Values: [0],1,2.

• decoded

  If enabled, the directory name is returned decoded with locale_fs form Encode::Locale.

  Values: 0,[1].

• init_dir

  Set the starting point directory. Defaults to the home directory.

  init_dir expects the directory path as a decoded string.

• layout

  See the option layout in Term::Choose

  Values: 0,[1],2.

• order

  If set to 1, the items are ordered vertically else they are ordered horizontally.

  This option has no meaning if layout is set to 2.

  Values: 0,[1].

• parent_dir

  Customize the string of the menu entry "parent_dir".

  Default: ..

• show_hidden

  If enabled, hidden directories are added to the available directories.

  Values: 0,[1].

choose_a_file

$chosen_file = choose_a_file( { show_hidden => 0, ... } )

Choose the file directory and then choose a file from the chosen directory. To return the chosen file select the "confirm" menu entry.

These options can be passed in a hash-reference:

• alignment

  Elements in columns are aligned to the left if set to 0, aligned to the right if set to 1 and centered if set to 2.

  Values: [0],1,2.

• decoded

  If enabled, the directory name is returned decoded with locale_fs form Encode::Locale.

  Values: 0,[1].

• filter

  If set, the value of this option is used as a glob pattern. Only files matching this pattern will be displayed.

• init_dir

  Set the starting point directory. Defaults to the home directory.

  If the option decoded is enabled (default), init_dir expects the directory path as a decoded string.

• layout

  See the option layout in Term::Choose

  Values: 0,[1],2.

• order

  If set to 1, the items are ordered vertically else they are ordered horizontally.

  This option has no meaning if layout is set to 2.

  Values: 0,[1].

• show_hidden

  If enabled, hidden directories are added to the available directories.

  Values: 0,[1].

choose_directories

$chosen_directories = choose_directories( { mouse => 1, ... } )

choose_directories is similar to choose_a_directory but it is possible to return multiple directories.

Options:

• alignment

  Elements in columns are aligned to the left if set to 0, aligned to the right if set to 1 and centered if set to 2.

  Values: [0],1,2.

• decoded

  If enabled, the directory name is returned decoded with locale_fs form Encode::Locale.

  Values: 0,[1].

• init_dir

  Set the starting point directory. Defaults to the home directory.

  If the option decoded is enabled (default), init_dir expects the directory path as a decoded string.

• layout

  See the option layout in Term::Choose

  Values: 0,[1],2.

• order

  If set to 1, the items are ordered vertically else they are ordered horizontally.

  This option has no meaning if layout is set to 2.

  Values: 0,[1].

• show_hidden

  If enabled, hidden directories are added to the available directories.

  Values: 0,[1].

choose_a_number

$new = choose_a_number( 5, { cs_label => 'Number: ', ... }  );

This function lets you choose/compose a number (unsigned integer) which is returned.

The fist argument is an integer and determines the range of the available numbers. For example setting the first argument to 4 would offer a range from 0 to 9999.

With the optional second argument (hash-reference), these options can be passed:

• default_number

  Set a default number (unsigned integer in the range of the available numbers).

  Default: undef

• small_first

  Put the small number ranges on top.

  Default: off

• thousands_separator

  Sets the thousands separator.

  Default: ,

The current-selection line is shown if cs_label is defined or as soon as a number has been chosen.

choose_a_subset

$subset = choose_a_subset( \@available_items, { cs_label => 'new> ', ... } )

choose_a_subset lets you choose a subset from a list.

The first argument is a reference to an array which provides the available list.

With the optional second argument (hash-reference), these options can be passed:

• all_by_default

  If enabled, all elements are selected if CONFIRM is chosen without any selected elements.

  Values: [0],1.

• alignment

  Elements in columns are aligned to the left if set to 0, aligned to the right if set to 1 and centered if set to 2.

  Values: [0],1,2.

• cs_begin

  Current selection: the cs_begin string is placed between the cs_label string and the chosen elements as soon as an element has been chosen.

  Default: empty string

• cs_end

  Current selection: as soon as elements have been chosen the cs_end string is placed at the end of the chosen elements.

  Default: empty string

• cs_separator

  Current selection: the cs_separator is placed between the chosen list elements.

  Default: ,

• index

  If true, the index positions in the available list of the made choices are returned.

  Values: [0],1.

• keep_chosen

  If enabled, the chosen items are not removed from the available choices.

  Values: [0],1;

• layout

  See the option layout in Term::Choose.

  Values: 0,1,[2].

• mark

  Expects as its value a reference to an array with indexes. Elements corresponding to these indexes are pre-selected when choose_a_subset is called.

• order

  If set to 1, the items are ordered vertically else they are ordered horizontally.

  This option has no meaning if layout is set to 2.

  Values: 0,[1].

• prefix

  prefix expects as its value a string. This string is put in front of the elements of the available list in the menu. The chosen elements are returned without this prefix.

  Default: empty string.

The current-selection line is shown if cs_label is defined or as soon as elements have been chosen.

To return the chosen subset (as an array reference) select the "confirm" menu entry.

The "back" menu entry removes the last added chosen items. If the list of chosen items is empty, "back" causes choose_a_subset to return nothing.

settings_menu

$menu = [
    [ 'enable_logging', "- Enable logging", [ 'NO', 'YES' ]   ],
    [ 'case_sensitive', "- Case sensitive", [ 'NO', 'YES' ]   ],
    [ 'attempts',       "- Attempts"      , [ '1', '2', '3' ] ]
];

$config = {
    'enable_logging' => 1,
    'case_sensitive' => 1,
    'attempts'       => 2
};

settings_menu( $menu, $config );

The first argument is a reference to an array of arrays. These arrays have three elements:

• the unique name of the option

• the prompt string

• an array reference with the available values of the option.

The second argument is a hash reference:

• the keys are the option names

• the values (0 if not defined) are the indexes of the current value of the respective key/option.

  If an index is out of bonds, it is set to 0.

With the optional third argument (hash-reference), these options can be passed:

• cs_begin

  Current selection: the cs_begin string is placed between the cs_label string and the chosen elements as soon as an element has been chosen.

  Default: empty string

• cs_end

  Current selection: as soon as elements have been chosen the cs_end string is placed at the end of the chosen elements.

  Default: empty string

• cs_separator

  Current selection: the cs_separator is placed between the chosen list elements.

  Default: ,

When settings_menu is called, it displays for each array entry a row with the prompt string and the current value. It is possible to scroll through the rows. If a row is selected, the set and displayed value changes to the next (undefined values are skipped). After scrolling through the list once the cursor jumps back to the top row.

If the "back" menu entry is chosen, settings_menu does not apply the made changes and returns nothing. If the "confirm" menu entry is chosen, settings_menu applies the made changes in place to the passed configuration hash-reference (second argument) and returns the number of made changes.

Setting the option cs_label to a defined value adds an info output line.

REQUIREMENTS

Perl version

Requires Perl version 5.10.0 or greater.

Encoding layer

Ensure the encoding layer for STDOUT, STDERR and STDIN are set to the correct value.

SUPPORT

You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

perldoc Term::Choose::Util

AUTHOR

Matthäus Kiem <cuer2s@gmail.com>

CREDITS

Thanks to the Perl-Community.de and the people form stackoverflow for the help.

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2014-2023 Matthäus Kiem.

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl 5.10.0. For details, see the full text of the licenses in the file LICENSE.

cpanm Term::Choose::Util

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Term::Choose::Util