Text frame descriptors

The set of frame descriptors can be any valid frame descriptors for text frames, in any order. (However, a text frame usually starts with the line title=title. The default value for title, if you do not define it, is Text.) If a descriptor is defined more than once in the set, the last one is used.

altslks

The altslks descriptor defines whether SLKs 9 through 16 are displayed when the frame is initially opened. If altslks evaluates to TRUE, SLKs 9 through 16 will be displayed. The default, if this descriptor is not defined, is FALSE, which causes SLKs 1 through 8 to be displayed.

begrow, begcol

The begrow and begcol descriptors define the original position of the top left corner of the text frame in the user's work area. (begrow=0 and begcol=0 evaluates to the upper left corner of the work area.) These descriptors accept values of type position:

center

the text frame will be centered in the work area

current

the text frame overlaps the current frame's position (valid for begrow only)

distinct

the text frame will not overlap the current frame (if possible) (valid for begrow only)

any

FMLI chooses a position with least amount of total overlap

integer

the text frame will be positioned in an absolute position, defined by integer. Defining begrow and begcol to be integer values causes the frame to appear in the given position.

If either begrow or begcol evaluates to center, then the other can only be an integer value or center. Any other value is ignored and the descriptor defaults to center.

If neither is center, then the value of begrow determines the legal values of begcol: if begrow is current, distinct, any, or an invalid value, then begcol defaults to any. If begrow is a valid integer, begcol can be a valid integer; if begcol is an invalid integer in this case, it defaults to any.

close

The close descriptor is evaluated when the text frame is closed and when the user exits from the FMLI application. The close descriptor is of type null, which means its only purpose is to obtain the side effects of a backquoted expressions coded in its definition.

columns

The columns descriptor defines the width of a text frame. It must evaluate to an integer value greater than 0 and less than DISPLAYW-4. The columns descriptor defaults to 30.

done

The done descriptor is evaluated when the user executes the cancel command. If done is not defined, it defaults to the FMLI command close.

edit

If this descriptor evaluates to TRUE, then the user can modify the text. Otherwise, the text is read-only. The default for this descriptor is FALSE.

If the user modifies the text in the displayed text frame, this does not modify the frame definition file.

framemsg

The framemsg descriptor displays its value on the message line for as long as the frame is current. It can be temporarily replaced by a message displayed when:

• a message is generated by the message built-in utility with the -t option

• an FMLI error message is generated

It can be replaced for as long as the frame is current by a message generated by the message built-in utility with the -f option. (See message(1fmli).)

header

The header descriptor defines information that will remain permanently displayed at the top of a text frame. For example, if a text frame contains a long table of information, header can be used to define column headings that will remain displayed below the title of the text frame while the user pages or scrolls through the rest of the table. The text defined in header can include embedded newline characters, and will be left justified in the frame. The header text will not occupy all rows of the text frame: at least two lines will remain available for display of the text.

help

The help descriptor specifies what will happen when the user requests help while in this text frame. Since this descriptor is evaluated when the user requests help, the specification of what help is displayed can be determined through parameters that are set interactively.

init

If the init descriptor evaluates to FALSE, the frame will not be displayed. If init evaluates to FALSE on an update, the frame is closed, unless it is an initial frame.

interrupt

The Boolean descriptor interrupt defines whether an executable that is coded in the done descriptor can be interrupted by users (FALSE means not interruptible, TRUE means interruptible). It is subject to an inheritance hierarchy: if not defined anywhere in your application, the default value FALSE applies throughout. If explicitly defined at any inheritance level, then executables in action and done descriptors at or above that inheritance level will inherit that defined value. (See ``Interrupt signal handling'' for complete information.)

If defined among the frame descriptors in a text frame definition file, that value of interrupt is inherited by the action descriptor in all sets of SLK descriptors in the text frame, unless it is redefined for a specific SLK.

lifetime

The lifetime descriptor defines when the text frame will be closed (that is, removed from the work area). It is evaluated whenever the text frame is opened, closed, made current, or made non-current. The acceptable values are:

shortterm

the text frame closes whenever the user navigates to another frame or when the command line is accessed (the user presses <CTRL-j> or <CTRL-f> <c>)

longterm

the text frame closes when the user issues a cleanup or close command

permanent

the text frame closes whenever the user issues a close command

immortal

the text frame closes only when the user exits from the application

The lifetime descriptor is ignored in text frame definition files that are given as arguments when fmli is invoked: such text frames have a lifetime of immortal. See ``Defining a help frame for menu items or form fields'' for an example of how to use this descriptor to close a frame when another frame is opened or updated.

oninterrupt

The command descriptor oninterrupt defines what will happen when an interrupt signal is received. If interrupt is not coded anywhere in your application, or if it evaluates to FALSE, oninterrupt is ignored.

oninterrupt is subject to an inheritance hierarchy: if not defined anywhere in your application, the default value `message Operation interrupted!` nop applies throughout. If explicitly defined at any inheritance level, then executables in action and done descriptors at or above that inheritance level will inherit that defined value. (See ``Interrupt signal handling'' for complete information.)

If defined with the frame descriptors in a text frame definition file, that value of oninterrupt is inherited by the action descriptor in all sets of SLK descriptors, unless redefined for a specific SLK.

reread

If reread is not defined, it defaults to FALSE. If reread evaluates to TRUE, the text frame will be periodically updated by rereading its description file when the checkworld command is executed. checkworld is executed when a SIGALRM alarm occurs (every $MAILCHECK seconds). Other times checkworld is executed include when a frame is opened, closed, or navigated to. (See checkworld in ``Built-in variables''.) When checkworld occurs, all frames whose reread descriptor evaluates to TRUE will be updated. (However, the title descriptor is not reread.) Execution of checkworld may cause the message line to clear.

rows

The rows descriptor defines the desired number of rows long a text frame will be. It must evaluate to an integer value greater than 0 and less than DISPLAYH-2. It defaults to the lesser of 10 or the number of rows needed to display the complete text.

text

The text descriptor defines the text you want to display. It may contain embedded newlines, as long as the value of the entire descriptor is enclosed in quotes. Two special characters are also available for requesting tabs and newlines in the displayed text:

\n

insert a newline in this position

\t

insert a tab in this position

The alternate character set characters can be coded as well; see ``Using the alternate character set''.

title

The title descriptor defines the title of the text frame that will appear in the title bar. It will be truncated if it is longer than DISPLAYW-6. If not defined, it defaults to the string Text.

wrap

If this descriptor is set to anything except FALSE, the text will be wrapped to fit the available space when it is read in. If wrap evaluates to TRUE, word boundaries are respected at newlines. If not defined wrap defaults to TRUE. Newlines in your text are always preserved.

See ``Application level definition files'', for a discussion of how to use SLK descriptors.