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 `ScriptPath path_of_the_script_directory'. This can be placed on a line by itself, if Script is to be spawned during AfterStep'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 characteristics of the window and default properties for all widgets. The second part contains instructions whom are executed at the startup of the script. The third part contains 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 syntax 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 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 messages. 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
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.

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 process, 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.

    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 displayed 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 dipstick. MaxValue: specify the maximum value of the dipstick.

VDipstick: Display a vertical dipstick.
    Value: specify the current value of the dipstick. MinValue: specify the minimum value of the dipstick. MaxValue: specify the maximum value of the dipstick.

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 syntax 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. Title: title contains options displayed in the menu. The syntax 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 numbered id1 to id2.

ChangeMinValue id1 id2: set the minimum value of the widget numbered 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 widget numbered id1 to {color}.

ChangeBackColor id1 {color}: set the background color of the widget 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.

WarpPointer id: warp the mouse pointer into the widget numbered id.

WriteToFile filename {str1} {str2} etc: write to the file filename the string which is the concatenation of all arguments str1, str2, etc.

Do {str1} {str2} etc: execute the command which is the concatenation 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.

(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.

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 omitted. 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)