Stu 2012-06-17 Meb 0.1
Meb is a menu builder that employs the same philosophy as Gub:
- Require learning the least amount of new syntax as possible.
- Leverage Tk options.
- Take care of the drudgery part of gui building.
- Generate Tcl code.
- Generates Tcl code to create menus.
- Takes care of the less important aspects of menu creation.
- Simple layout, one item per line.
- Indent determines level, one space per level.
- Tk options start at first '-' after label text.
- Auto underline using '&'.
- Cascades determined my indent (level).
- Checkbuttons,radiobuttons determined by -variable option.
- Auto command.
- Namespace for commands and variables.
- Separator is any string of '-' and/or '='
- MebTool, a command-line and gui utility.
$ cat example3.mob # Meb example 3 - simple &File &Load &Save &New - E&xit &Help &About &Readme $ mebtool example3.mob menu .m -tearoff 0 .m add cascade -label File -underline 0 -menu [menu .m.m0 -tearoff 0] .m.m0 add command -label Load -underline 0 -command ::fileLoad .m.m0 add command -label Save -underline 0 -command ::fileSave .m.m0 add command -label New -underline 0 -command ::fileNew .m.m0 add separator .m.m0 add command -label Exit -underline 1 -command ::fileExit .m add cascade -label Help -underline 0 -menu [menu .m.m1 -tearoff 0] .m.m1 add command -label About -underline 0 -command ::helpAbout .m.m1 add command -label Readme -underline 0 -command ::helpReadme
$ cat example1.mob
# Meb example 1
&Command # Comments start at the first # on a line
&Sing # and continue to the end of the line
&Dance
&Jump # These lines become commands
- # This is a separator
&Shampoo +menuoptions {-bg tan} # Set menu (cascade) options with meb option
&Lather -value soapy # The -value option makes this become a radiobutton
R&inse -command {puts rinse!} # Leading { prevents namespace prefixing
&Repeat
= # This is a separator
E&xplode # Commands become prefixed with a namespace
# Blank lines and comments are ignored
# Separators can be any combination of - and =
# Meb options are {n v} and start with +
# The default namespace is ::
&Radio # These are good
&Lettuce -variable veg -command ::myns::hello # Leading :: prevents namespace prefixing
&Carrot -variable veg
&Radish -variable veg # These become radiobuttons
&Potato -variable veg # because they share a common -variable
=-=-=-=-=-= # This is a separator
&Healthy # These are better
&Beer -variable yum # Submenus (cascades) are made by
&Chips -variable yum # indenting one space from their parent
Piz&za -variable yum
&Lard -variable yum # Variables become prefixed with a namespace
&Checkbutton
&Extra Cheese -variable cheese # These become checkbuttons because they
&No Singing -variable sing # are the only items to use a particular -variable
&Other
&Verbose +type radiobutton -variable verbose # Override type with meb option
&Whisper -variable whisper
$ mebtool -names -namespace myns -nomenu -menuname .z example1.mob
.z add cascade -label Command -underline 0 -menu [menu .z.mCommand -tearoff 0]
.z.mCommand add command -label Sing -underline 0 -command ::myns::commandSing
.z.mCommand add command -label Dance -underline 0 -command ::myns::commandDance
.z.mCommand add command -label Jump -underline 0 -command ::myns::commandJump
.z.mCommand add separator
.z.mCommand add cascade -label Shampoo -underline 0 -menu [menu .z.mCommand.mShampoo -bg tan -tearoff 0]
.z.mCommand.mShampoo add radiobutton -label Lather -underline 0 -value soapy
.z.mCommand.mShampoo add command -label Rinse -underline 1 -command {puts rinse!}
.z.mCommand.mShampoo add command -label Repeat -underline 0 -command ::myns::commandShampooRepeat
.z.mCommand add separator
.z.mCommand add command -label Explode -underline 1 -command ::myns::commandExplode
.z add cascade -label Radio -underline 0 -menu [menu .z.mRadio -tearoff 0]
.z.mRadio add radiobutton -label Lettuce -underline 0 -variable ::myns::veg -command ::myns::hello
.z.mRadio add radiobutton -label Carrot -underline 0 -variable ::myns::veg
.z.mRadio add radiobutton -label Radish -underline 0 -variable ::myns::veg
.z.mRadio add radiobutton -label Potato -underline 0 -variable ::myns::veg
.z.mRadio add separator
.z.mRadio add cascade -label Healthy -underline 0 -menu [menu .z.mRadio.mHealthy -tearoff 0]
.z.mRadio.mHealthy add radiobutton -label Beer -underline 0 -variable ::myns::yum
.z.mRadio.mHealthy add radiobutton -label Chips -underline 0 -variable ::myns::yum
.z.mRadio.mHealthy add radiobutton -label Pizza -underline 3 -variable ::myns::yum
.z.mRadio.mHealthy add radiobutton -label Lard -underline 0 -variable ::myns::yum
.z add cascade -label Checkbutton -underline 0 -menu [menu .z.mCheckbutton -tearoff 0]
.z.mCheckbutton add checkbutton -label {Extra Cheese} -underline 0 -variable ::myns::cheese
.z.mCheckbutton add checkbutton -label {No Singing} -underline 0 -variable ::myns::sing
.z.mCheckbutton add cascade -label Other -underline 0 -menu [menu .z.mCheckbutton.mOther -tearoff 0]
.z.mCheckbutton.mOther add radiobutton -label Verbose -underline 0 -variable ::myns::verbose
.z.mCheckbutton.mOther add checkbutton -label Whisper -underline 0 -variable ::myns::whisper