Tk::Tex...uperText(3)

📦
version 0.12 · 2 versions
, in fedora 43

💖 Tk::Tex...uperText(3) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the manual page for Tk::Text::SuperText — that's the full name, your terminal just shows it squished as Tk::Tex...uperText(3) bc it has no chill about column widths. This is the User Contributed Perl Documentation version, and it's a whole glow-up. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

Tk::Text::SuperText — an improved text widget for Perl/Tk. like, the text widget but it went to the gym and got hobbies. 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

$super_text = $paren->SuperText(?options?);

yes queen, that's it. you build it off your parent widget and pass it ?options? like every other Tk widget. 🦋

✨ STANDARD OPTIONS ✨

here's the full roster of standard options this widget takes. all of them. no skipping. 👑

-background    -highlightbackground     -insertontime  -selectborderwidth
-borderwidth   -highlightcolor     -insertwidth   -selectforeground
-cursor   -highlightthickness -padx     -setgrid
-exportselection    -insertbackground   -pady     -takefocus
-font     -insertborderwidth  -relief   -xscrollcommand
-foreground    -insertofftime -selectbackground   -yscrollcommand
-ansicolor
See Tk::options for details of the standard options. that's where the lore lives. 📚

and these ones are also standard, but they're the text-y ones:

-height   -spacing1 -spacing2 -spacing3
-state    -tabs     -width    -wrap
See Tk::Text for details of these options. 🫶

🌈 WIDGET-SPECIFIC OPTIONS 🌈

this is the fun part. the options that make it *Super*Text and not just RegularText. let's go one by one, i'm obsessed. 💜

  • Name: indentMode Class: IndentMode Switch: -indentmode — tells the widget how to indent when a new line gets inserted in the text. the possible modes are none, which means no indent at all, or auto, which parks the insertion cursor right below the first non-white space character of the previous line. auto-indent girlies rise. 🧚
  • Name: undoDepth Class: UndoDepth Switch: -undodepth — sets the max depth for the undo buffer. a number means: that's how many insert or delete operations can sit in the buffer before the oldest one gets popped out and forgotten forever (rip 🪦). 0 stops the undo feature entirely, and undef sets unlimited depth. chaos mode unlocked.
  • Name: redoDepth Class: RedoDepth Switch: -redodepth — same energy, but for the redo buffer. a number = how many undo operations can be stored before the oldest one is popped out and forgotten. 0 stops the redo feature, undef = unlimited depth. ⭐
  • Name: showMatching Class: ShowMatching Switch: -showmatching — a value of 1 activates the matching parentheses feature. 0 deactivates it. that's it, that's the whole vibe check. ✅
  • Name: matchHighlightTime Class: MatchHighlightTime Switch: -matchhighlighttime — sets the number of milliseconds the match highlight stays visible. with a value of 0, the highlight stays on till the next match. commitment issues: none. 🔥
  • Name: matchForeground Class: MatchForeground Switch: -matchforeground — sets the foreground color for the char that gets highlighted by the match-parentheses command. 💅
  • Name: matchBackground Class: MatchBackground Switch: -matchbackground — sets the background color for the char highlighted by the match-parentheses command. matching set, we love a coordinated fit. 👑
  • Name: matchingCouples Class: MatchingCouples Switch: -matchingcouples — sets the chars that get searched for a matching counterpart. the format is a simple string with matching chars coupled in left-right order. here's an example: {}[]()"" . for double couples ("") the match is done only on the forwarding chars. iykyk. 🦋
  • Name: insertMode Class: InsertMode Switch: -insertmode — sets the default insert mode: insert or overwrite. pick your fighter. 😭
  • Name: ansiColor Class: AnsiColor Switch: -ansicolor — enables or disables use of the Tk::TextANSIColor module. this option was implemented by Jim Turner (THANKS for the support!) — shoutout, king, we appreciate you. 🫶🌈

okay that's part 1 bestie, and no we are NOT done, there's more coming 💖 don't go anywhere —

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because Tk::Text::SuperText is literally the glow-up of Tk::Text. It implements so many new features on top of the standard Tk::Text widget while supporting every single one of its standard features. You use it exactly like you'd use Tk::Text — no new ritual required. ✨

And now, the new features. Buckle up. 🎀

  • Unlimited undo/redo 🔁

fr fr, you can undo and redo whatever you deleted or inserted, whenever you want, no limits. To reset the undo and redo buffers, call this method:

$w->resetUndo;
  • Rectangular selections 🟦

Rectangular text zones can be selected, copied, deleted, and shifted — with the mouse or with the keyboard. It's giving very spreadsheet-core and we're obsessed.

  • Selection right/left char and tab shift ↔️

Text selections can be shifted left or right by one or more chars, or by a tab.

  • Normal and 'inline' selection paste 📋

The 'normal' paste is the normal text paste you already know and love:

Paste Buffer:

line x

line y

Text Buffer:

line 1

line2

Normal paste at line 1:

line x

line y

line 1

line 2

The 'inline' paste works like this — Inline paste at line 1:

line x line 1

line y line 2
  • Parentheses matching 🧚

To help you inspect nested parentheses, brackets, and other characters, SuperText has both an automatic parenthesis matching mode and a find matching command. Automatic parenthesis matching activates when you type, or when you move the insertion cursor after a parenthesis. It momentarily highlights the matching character if that character is visible in the window. To find a matching character anywhere in the file, position the cursor after it, and call the find matching command.

  • Auto-indenting 📐

When you press the Return or Enter key, spaces and tabs get inserted so the insert point lines up under the start of the previous line. Alignment queen.

  • Control codes insertion 🎛️

You can directly insert a non-printable control character in the text. yes, really.

  • Commands are managed via virtual events 👑

Every SuperText command is bound to a virtual event, so to call it or to bind it to a key sequence you use the Tk::event functions. The author used this format for key binds so there's no direct key-to-command bind, and this gives more flexibility; however, you can use normal binds too.

Example:

$w->eventAdd('Tk::Text::SuperText','<<SelectAll>>','<Control-a>');

To set default event bindings use this method:

$w->bindDefault;
  • Default key bindings are redefined (not really a feature :) 💅

Every virtual event has an associated public method with the same name as the event, but with the first char in lower case. For example, the <<MouseSelect>> event has a corresponding $super_text->mouseSelect method.

Here's the whole roster, virtual event/command on the left, default key binding on the right:

  • MouseSetInsert — <Button1>
  • MouseSelect — <B1-Motion>
  • MouseSelectWord — <Double-1>
  • MouseSelectLine — <Triple-1>
  • MouseSelectAdd — <Shift-1>
  • MouseSelectAddWord — <Double-Shift-1>
  • MouseSelectAddLine — <Triple-Shift-1>
  • MouseSelectAutoScan — <B1-Leave>
  • MouseSelectAutoScanStop — <B1-Enter>,<ButtonRelease-1>
  • MouseMoveInsert — <Alt-1>
  • MouseRectSelection — <Control-B1-Motion>
  • MouseMovePageTo — <2>
  • MouseMovePage — <B2-Motion>
  • MousePasteSelection — <ButtonRelease-2>
  • MoveLeft — <Left>
  • SelectLeft — <Shift-Left>
  • SelectRectLeft — <Shift-Alt-Left>
  • MoveLeftWord — <Control-Left>
  • SelectLeftWord — <Shift-Control-Left>
  • MoveRight — <Right>
  • SelectRight — <Shift-Right>
  • SelectRectRight — <Shift-Alt-Right>
  • MoveRightWord — <Control-Right>
  • SelectRightWord — <Shift-Control-Right>
  • MoveUp — <Up>
  • SelectUp — <Shift-Up>
  • SelectRectUp — <Shift-Alt-Up>
  • MoveUpParagraph — <Control-Up>
  • SelectUpParagraph — <Shift-Control-Up>
  • MoveDown — <Down>
  • SelectDown — <Shift-Down>
  • SelectRectDown — <Shift-Alt-Down>
  • MoveDownParagraph — <Control-Down>
  • SelectDownParagraph — <Shift-Control-Down>
  • MoveLineStart — <Home>
  • SelectToLineStart — <Shift-Home>
  • MoveTextStart — <Control-Home>
  • SelectToTextStart — <Shift-Control-Home>
  • MoveLineEnd — <End>
  • SelectToLineEnd — <Shift-End>
  • MoveTextEnd — <Control-End>
  • SelectToTextEnd — <Shift-Control-End>
  • MovePageUp — <Prior>
  • SelectToPageUp — <Shift-Prior>
  • MovePageLeft — <Control-Prior>
  • MovePageDown — <Next>
  • SelectToPageDown — <Shift-Next>
  • MovePageRight — <Control-Next>
  • SetSelectionMark — <Control-space>,<Select>
  • SelectToMark — <Shift-Control-space>,<Shift-Select>
  • SelectAll — <Control-a>
  • SelectionShiftLeft — <Control-comma>
  • SelectionShiftLeftTab — <Control-Alt-comma>
  • SelectionShiftRight — <Control-period>
  • SelectionShiftRightTab — <Control-Alt-period>
  • Ins — <Insert>
  • Enter — <Return>
  • AutoIndentEnter — <Control-Return>
  • NoAutoindentEnter — <Shift-Return>
  • Del — <Delete>
  • BackSpace — <BackSpace>
  • DeleteToWordStart — <Shift-BackSpace>
  • DeleteToWordEnd — <Shift-Delete>
  • DeleteToLineStart — <Alt-BackSpace>
  • DeleteToLineEnd — <Alt-Delete>
  • DeleteWord — <Control-BackSpace>
  • DeleteLine — <Control-Delete>
  • InsertControlCode — <Control-Escape>
  • FocusNext — <Control-Tab>
  • FocusPrev — <Shift-Control-Tab>
  • FlashMatchingChar — <Control-b>
  • RemoveMatch — <Control-B>
  • FindMatchingChar — <Control-j>
  • JumpToMatchingChar — <Control-J>
  • Escape — <Escape>
  • Tab — <Tab>
  • LeftTab — <Shift-Tab>
  • Copy — <Control-c>
  • Cut — <Control-x>
  • Paste — <Control-v>
  • InlinePaste — <Control-V>
  • Undo — <Control-z>
  • Redo — <Control-Z>
  • Destroy — <Destroy>
  • MenuSelect — <Alt-KeyPress>
  • Public methods 🫶

here's the full list, copy it into your notes app bestie:

$widget->mouseSetInsert
$widget->museSelect
$widget->mouseSelectWord
$widget->mouseSelectLine
$widget->mouseSelectAdd
$widget->mouseSelectAddWord
$widget->mouseSelectAddLine
$widget->mouseSelectAutoScan
$widget->mouseSelectAutoScanStop
$widget->mouseMoveInsert
$widget->mouseRectSelection
$widget->mouseMovePageTo
$widget->mouseMovePage
$widget->mousePasteSelection
$widget->moveLeft
$widget->selectLeft
$widget->selectRectLeft
$widget->moveLeftWord
$widget->selectLeftWord
$widget->moveRight
$widget->selectRight
$widget->selectRectRight
$widget->moveRightWord
$widget->selectRightWord
$widget->moveUp
$widget->selectUp
$widget->selectRectUp
$widget->moveUpParagraph
$widget->selectUpParagraph
$widget->moveDown
$widget->selectDown
$widget->selectRectDown
$widget->moveDownParagraph
$widget->selectDownParagraph
$widget->moveLineStart
$widget->selectToLineStart
$widget->moveTextStart
$widget->selectToTextStart
$widget->moveLineEnd
$widget->selectToLineEnd
$widget->moveTextEnd
$widget->selectToTextEnd
$widget->movePageUp
$widget->selectToPageUp
$widget->movePageLeft
$widget->movePageDown
$widget->selectToPageDown
$widget->movePageRight
$widget->setSelectionMark
$widget->selectToMark
$widget->selectAll
$widget->selectionShiftLeft
$widget->selectionShiftLeftTab
$widget->selectionShiftRight
$widget->selectionShiftRightTab
$widget->ins
$widget->enter
$widget->autoIndentEnter
$widget-> noAutoindentEnter
$widget->del
$widget->backSpace
$widget->deleteToWordStart
$widget->deleteToWordEnd
$widget->deleteToLineStart
$widget->deleteToLineEnd
$widget->deleteWord
$widget->deleteLine
$widget->insertControlCode
$widget->focusNext
$widget->focusPrev
$widget->flashMatchingChar
$widget->removeMatch
$widget->findMatchingChar
$widget->jumpToMatchingChar
$widget->escape
$widget->tab
$widget->leftTab
$widget->copy
$widget->cut
$widget->paste
$widget->inlinePaste
$widget->undo
$widget->redo
$widget->destroy
$widget->menuSelect

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Current maintainer is Alexander Becker, asb@cpan.org. 💌

Originally written by Alessandro Iob.

📜 LICENSE 📜

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

Tk::Text Tk::ROText Tk::TextUndo

🎀 KEYWORDS 🎀

text, widget

and that's a wrap on the whole page, bestie 🫶 this was perl v5.42.0, dated 2025-07-25, and it's the Tk::Tex...uperText(3) manual — go forth and make your text widget absolutely ate 💅✨
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