Defining attributes of text frames

Here is a simple description file for a text frame:

   title="Words to Live By"
   columns=40
   lifetime=longterm
   wrap=true

   text="We the people, in order to form a more perfect
   union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity,
   provide for the common defense, promote the general
   welfare and secure the blessings of liberty, to
   ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish
   this constitution for the United States of America."

Text.USA: an example of a text frame

The lifetime descriptor defines this text frame to remain on display until the user issues a cleanup or close command. The wrap descriptor defines word-wrapping to occur: that is, a word that will not fit entirely on the current line will be displayed in full on the next line. The frame will look like this:

Text.USA: screen output

Notice that even though the text is wrapped at 40 columns, the original newline characters are preserved.