option(n) Tk Built-In Commands option(n)_________________________________________________________________NAMEoption - Add/retrieve window options to/from the option
database
SYNOPSISoption add pattern value ?priority?
option clear
option get window name class
option readfile fileName ?priority?
_________________________________________________________________DESCRIPTION
The option command allows you to add entries to the Tk
option database or to retrieve options from the database.
The add form of the command adds a new option to the
database. Pattern contains the option being specified,
and consists of names and/or classes separated by aster-
isks or dots, in the usual X format. Value contains a
text string to associate with pattern; this is the value
that will be returned in calls to Tk_GetOption or by invo-
cations of the option get command. If priority is speci-
fied, it indicates the priority level for this option (see
below for legal values); it defaults to interactive.
This command always returns an empty string.
The option clear command clears the option database.
Default options (from the RESOURCE_MANAGER property or the
.Xdefaults file) will be reloaded automatically the next
time an option is added to the database or removed from
it. This command always returns an empty string.
The option get command returns the value of the option
specified for window under name and class. If several
entries in the option database match window, name, and
class, then the command returns whichever was created with
highest priority level. If there are several matching
entries at the same priority level, then it returns
whichever entry was most recently entered into the option
database. If there are no matching entries, then the
empty string is returned.
The readfile form of the command reads fileName, which
should have the standard format for an X resource database
such as .Xdefaults, and adds all the options specified in
that file to the option database. If priority is speci-
fied, it indicates the priority level at which to enter
the options; priority defaults to interactive.
Tk 1
option(n) Tk Built-In Commands option(n)
The priority arguments to the option command are normally
specified symbolically using one of the following values:
widgetDefault
Level 20. Used for default values hard-coded into
widgets.
startupFile
Level 40. Used for options specified in applica-
tion-specific startup files.
userDefault
Level 60. Used for options specified in user-spe-
cific defaults files, such as .Xdefaults, resource
databases loaded into the X server, or user-spe-
cific startup files.
interactive
Level 80. Used for options specified interactively
after the application starts running. If priority
isn't specified, it defaults to this level.
Any of the above keywords may be abbreviated. In addi-
tion, priorities may be specified numerically using inte-
gers between 0 and 100, inclusive. The numeric form is
probably a bad idea except for new priority levels other
than the ones given above.
KEYWORDS
database, option, priority, retrieve
Tk 2
