# options - Standard options supported by widgets

## DESCRIPTION

This manual entry describes the common configuration options supported by widgets in the Tk toolkit. Every widget does not necessarily support every option (see the manual entries for individual widgets for a list of the standard options supported by that widget), but if a widget does support an option with one of the names listed below, then the option has exactly the effect described below.

In the descriptions below, ``Name'' refers to the option's name in the option database (e.g. in .Xdefaults files). ``Class'' refers to the option's class value in the option database. ``Command-Line Switch'' refers to the switch used in widget-creation and configure widget commands to set this value. For example, if an option's command-line switch is -foreground and there exists a widget .a.b.c, then the command

      .a.b.c    configure    -foreground black

may be used to specify the value black for the option in the the widget .a.b.c. Command-line switches may be abbreviated, as long as the abbreviation is unambiguous.

    Name:	activeBackground
    Class:	Foreground
    Command-Line Switch:	-activebackground

Specifies background color to use when drawing active elements. An element (a widget or portion of a widget) is active if the mouse cursor is positioned over the element and pressing a mouse button will cause some action to occur. If strict Motif compliance has been requested by setting the tk_strictMotif variable, this option will normally be ignored; the normal background color will be used instead.

    Name:	activeBorderWidth
    Class:	BorderWidth
    Command-Line Switch:	-activeborderwidth

Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the 3-D border drawn around active elements. See above for definition of active elements. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels. This option is typically only available in widgets displaying more than one element at a time (e.g. menus but not buttons).

    Name:	activeForeground
    Class:	Background
    Command-Line Switch:	-activeforeground

Specifies foreground color to use when drawing active elements. See above for definition of active elements.

    Name:	anchor
    Class:	Anchor
    Command-Line Switch:	-anchor

Specifies how the information in a widget (e.g. text or a bitmap) is to be displayed in the widget. Must be one of the values n, ne, e, se, s, sw, w, nw, or center. For example, nw means display the information such that its top-left corner is at the top-left corner of the widget.

    Name:	background
    Class:	Background
    Command-Line Switch:	-background or -bg

Specifies the normal background color to use when displaying the widget.

    Name:	bitmap
    Class:	Bitmap
    Command-Line Switch:	-bitmap

Specifies a bitmap to display in the widget, in any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetBitmap. The exact way in which the bitmap is displayed may be affected by other options such as anchor or justify. Typically, if this option is specified then it overrides other options that specify a textual value to display in the widget; the bitmap option may be reset to an empty string to re-enable a text display. In widgets that support both bitmap and image options, image will usually override bitmap.

    Name:	borderWidth
    Class:	BorderWidth
    Command-Line Switch:	-borderwidth or -bd

Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the 3-D border to draw around the outside of the widget (if such a border is being drawn; the relief option typically determines this). The value may also be used when drawing 3-D effects in the interior of the widget. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels.

    Name:	cursor
    Class:	Cursor
    Command-Line Switch:	-cursor

Specifies the mouse cursor to be used for the widget. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetCursor.

    Name:	disabledForeground
    Class:	DisabledForeground
    Command-Line Switch:	-disabledforeground

Specifies foreground color to use when drawing a disabled element. If the option is specified as an empty string (which is typically the case on monochrome displays), disabled elements are drawn with the normal fooreground color but they are dimmed by drawing them with a stippled fill pattern.

    Name:	exportSelection
    Class:	ExportSelection
    Command-Line Switch:	-exportselection

Specifies whether or not a selection in the widget should also be the X selection. The value may have any of the forms accepted by Tcl_GetBoolean, such as true, false, 0, 1, yes, or no. If the selection is exported, then selecting in the widget deselects the current X selection, selecting outside the widget deselects any widget selection, and the widget will respond to selection retrieval requests when it has a selection. The default is usually for widgets to export selections.

    Name:	font
    Class:	Font
    Command-Line Switch:	-font

Specifies the font to use when drawing text inside the widget.

    Name:	foreground
    Class:	Foreground
    Command-Line Switch:	-foreground or -fg

Specifies the normal foreground color to use when displaying the widget.

    Name:	geometry
    Class:	Geometry
    Command-Line Switch:	-geometry

Specifies the desired geometry for the widget's window, in the form widthxheight, where width is the desired width of the window and height is the desired height. The units for width and height depend on the particular widget. For widgets displaying text the units are usually the size of the characters in the font being displayed; for other widgets the units are usually pixels.

    Name:	highlightBackground
    Class:	HighlightBackground
    Command-Line Switch:	-highlightbackground

Specifies the color to display in the traversal highlight region when the widget does not have the input focus.

    Name:	highlightColor
    Class:	HighlightColor
    Command-Line Switch:	-highlightcolor

Specifies the color to use for the traversal highlight rectangle that is drawn around the widget when it has the input focus.

    Name:	highlightThickness
    Class:	HighlightThickness
    Command-Line Switch:	-highlightthickness

Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the highlight rectangle to draw around the outside of the widget when it has the input focus. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels. If the value is zero, no focus highlight is drawn around the widget.

    Name:	image
    Class:	Image
    Command-Line Switch:	-image

Specifies an image to display in the widget, which must have been created with the image create command. Typically, if the image option is specified then it overrides other options that specify a bitmap or textual value to display in the widget; the image option may be reset to an empty string to re-enable a bitmap or text display.

    Name:	insertBackground
    Class:	Foreground
    Command-Line Switch:	-insertbackground

Specifies the color to use as background in the area covered by the insertion cursor. This color will normally override either the normal background for the widget (or the selection background if the insertion cursor happens to fall in the selection).

    Name:	insertBorderWidth
    Class:	BorderWidth
    Command-Line Switch:	-insertborderwidth

Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the 3-D border to draw around the insertion cursor. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels.

    Name:	insertOffTime
    Class:	OffTime
    Command-Line Switch:	-insertofftime

Specifies a non-negative integer value indicating the number of milliseconds the insertion cursor should remain ``off'' in each blink cycle. If this option is zero then the cursor doesn't blink: it is on all the time.

    Name:	insertOnTime
    Class:	OnTime
    Command-Line Switch:	-insertontime

Specifies a non-negative integer value indicating the number of milliseconds the insertion cursor should remain ``on'' in each blink cycle.

    Name:	insertWidth
    Class:	InsertWidth
    Command-Line Switch:	-insertwidth

Specifies a value indicating the total width of the insertion cursor. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels. If a border has been specified for the insertion cursor (using the insertBorderWidth option), the border will be drawn inside the width specified by the insertWidth option.

    Name:	jump
    Class:	Jump
    Command-Line Switch:	-jump

For widgets with a slider that can be dragged to adjust a value, such as scrollbars and scales, this option determines when notifications are made about changes in the value. The option's value must be a boolean of the form accepted by Tcl_GetBoolean. If the value is false, updates are made continuously as the slider is dragged. If the value is true, updates are delayed until the mouse button is released to end the drag; at that point a single notification is made (the value ``jumps'' rather than changing smoothly).

    Name:	justify
    Class:	Justify
    Command-Line Switch:	-justify

When there are multiple lines of text displayed in a widget, this option determines how the lines line up with each other. Must be one of left, center, or right. Left means that the lines' left edges all line up, center means that the lines' centers are aligned, and right means that the lines' right edges line up.

    Name:	orient
    Class:	Orient
    Command-Line Switch:	-orient

For widgets that can lay themselves out with either a horizontal or vertical orientation, such as scrollbars, this option specifies which orientation should be used. Must be either horizontal or vertical or an abbreviation of one of these.

    Name:	padX
    Class:	Pad
    Command-Line Switch:	-padx

Specifies a non-negative value indicating how much extra space to request for the widget in the X-direction. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels. When computing how large a window it needs, the widget will add this amount to the width it would normally need (as determined by the width of the things displayed in the widget); if the geometry manager can satisfy this request, the widget will end up with extra internal space to the left and/or right of what it displays inside. Most widgets only use this option for padding text: if they are displaying a bitmap or image, then they usually ignore padding options.

    Name:	padY
    Class:	Pad
    Command-Line Switch:	-pady

Specifies a non-negative value indicating how much extra space to request for the widget in the Y-direction. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels. When computing how large a window it needs, the widget will add this amount to the height it would normally need (as determined by the height of the things displayed in the widget); if the geometry manager can satisfy this request, the widget will end up with extra internal space above and/or below what it displays inside. Most widgets only use this option for padding text: if they are displaying a bitmap or image, then they usually ignore padding options.

    Name:	relief
    Class:	Relief
    Command-Line Switch:	-relief

Specifies the 3-D effect desired for the widget. Acceptable values are raised, sunken, flat, ridge, and groove. The value indicates how the interior of the widget should appear relative to its exterior; for example, raised means the interior of the widget should appear to protrude from the screen, relative to the exterior of the widget.

    Name:	repeatDelay
    Class:	RepeatDelay
    Command-Line Switch:	-repeatdelay

Specifies the number of milliseconds a button or key must be held down before it begins to auto-repeat. Used, for example, on the up- and down-arrows in scrollbars.

    Name:	repeatInterval
    Class:	RepeatInterval
    Command-Line Switch:	-repeatinterval

Used in conjunction with repeatDelay: once auto-repeat begins, this option determines the number of milliseconds between auto-repeats.

    Name:	selectBackground
    Class:	Foreground
    Command-Line Switch:	-selectbackground

Specifies the background color to use when displaying selected items.

    Name:	selectBorderWidth
    Class:	BorderWidth
    Command-Line Switch:	-selectborderwidth

Specifies a non-negative value indicating the width of the 3-D border to draw around selected items. The value may have any of the forms acceptable to Tk_GetPixels.

    Name:	selectForeground
    Class:	Background
    Command-Line Switch:	-selectforeground

Specifies the foreground color to use when displaying selected items.

    Name:	setGrid
    Class:	SetGrid
    Command-Line Switch:	-setgrid

Specifies a boolean value that determines whether this widget controls the resizing grid for its top-level window. This option is typically used in text widgets, where the information in the widget has a natural size (the size of a character) and it makes sense for the window's dimensions to be integral numbers of these units. These natural window sizes form a grid. If the setGrid option is set to true then the widget will communicate with the window manager so that when the user interactively resizes the top-level window that contains the widget, the dimensions of the window will be displayed to the user in grid units and the window size will be constrained to integral numbers of grid units. See the section GRIDDED GEOMETRY MANAGEMENT in the wm manual entry for more details.

    Name:	takeFocus
    Class:	TakeFocus
    Command-Line Switch:	-takefocus

Provides information used when moving the focus from window to window via keyboard traversal (e.g., Tab and Shift-Tab). Before setting the focus to a window, the traversal scripts first check whether the window is viewable (it and all its ancestors are mapped); if not, the window is skipped. Next, the scripts consult the value of the takeFocus option. A value of 0 means that this window should be skipped entirely during keyboard traversal. 1 means that the this window should always receive the input focus. An empty value means that the traversal scripts make the decision about whether or not to focus on the window: the current algorithm is to skip the window if it is disabled or if it has no key bindings. If the value has any other form, then the traversal scripts take the value, append the name of the window to it (with a separator space), and evaluate the resulting string as a Tcl script. The script must return 0, 1, or an empty string; this value is used just as if the option had that value in the first place. Note: this interpretation of the option is defined entirely by the Tcl scripts that implement traversal: the widget implementations ignore the option entirely, so you can change its meaning if you redefine the keyboard traversal scripts.

    Name:	text
    Class:	Text
    Command-Line Switch:	-text

Specifies a string to be displayed inside the widget. The way in which the string is displayed depends on the particular widget and may be determined by other options, such as anchor or justify.

    Name:	textVariable
    Class:	Variable
    Command-Line Switch:	-textvariable

Specifies the name of a variable. The value of the variable is a text string to be displayed inside the widget; if the variable value changes then the widget will automatically update itself to reflect the new value. The way in which the string is displayed in the widget depends on the particular widget and may be determined by other options, such as anchor or justify.

    Name:	troughColor
    Class:	Background
    Command-Line Switch:	-troughcolor

Specifies the color to use for the rectangular trough areas in widgets such as scrollbars and scales.

    Name:	underline
    Class:	Underline
    Command-Line Switch:	-underline

Specifies the integer index of a character to underline in the widget. This option is used by the default bindings to implement keyboard traversal for menu buttons and menu entries. 0 corresponds to the first character of the text displayed in the widget, 1 to the next character, and so on.

    Name:	wrapLength
    Class:	WrapLength
    Command-Line Switch:	-wraplength

For widgets that can perform word-wrapping, this option specifies the maximum line length. Lines that would exceed this length are wrapped onto the next line, so that no line is longer than the specified length. The value may be specified in any of the standard forms for screen distances. If this value is less than or equal to 0 then no wrapping is done: lines will break only at newline characters in the text.

    Name:	xScrollCommand
    Class:	ScrollCommand
    Command-Line Switch:	-xscrollcommand

Specifies the prefix for a command used to communicate with horizontal scrollbars. When the view in the widget's window changes (or whenever anything else occurs that could change the display in a scrollbar, such as a change in the total size of the widget's contents), the widget will generate a Tcl command by concatenating the scroll command and two numbers. Each of the numbers is a fraction between 0 and 1, which indicates a position in the document. 0 indicates the beginning of the document, 1 indicates the end, .333 indicates a position one third the way through the document, and so on. The first fraction indicates the first information in the document that is visible in the window, and the second fraction indicates the information just after the last portion that is visible. The command is then passed to the Tcl interpreter for execution. Typically the xScrollCommand option consists of the path name of a scrollbar widget followed by ``set'', e.g. ``.x.scrollbar set'': this will cause the scrollbar to be updated whenever the view in the window changes. If this option is not specified, then no command will be executed.

    Name:	yScrollCommand
    Class:	ScrollCommand
    Command-Line Switch:	-yscrollcommand

Specifies the prefix for a command used to communicate with vertical scrollbars. This option is treated in the same way as the xScrollCommand option, except that it is used for vertical scrollbars and is provided by widgets that support vertical scrolling. See the description of xScrollCommand for details on how this option is used.

## KEYWORDS

class, name, standard option, switch