chatwidget(n)       Composite widget for chat applications       chatwidget(n)



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NAME
       chatwidget - Provides a multi-paned view suitable for display of chat
       room or irc channel information

SYNOPSIS
       package require Tk  8.5

       package require chatwidget  ?1.0.0?

       ::chatwidget::chatwidget path ?options?

       $widget topic command args

       $widget name nick args

       $widget message text args

       $widget hook command args

       $widget names args

       $widget entry args

       $widget chat args

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DESCRIPTION
       This is a composite widget designed to simplify the construction of
       chat applications. The widget contains display areas for chat messages,
       user names and topic and an entry area. It automatically handles
       colourization of messages per nick and manages nick completion. A
       system of hooks permit the application author to adjust display
       features. The main chat display area may be split for use displaying
       history or for searching.

       The widget is made up of a number of text widget and panedwindow
       widgets so that the size of each part of the display may be adjusted by
       the user. All the text widgets may be accessed via widget passthrough
       commands if fine adjustment is required. The topic and names sections
       can also be hidden if desired.

COMMANDS
       ::chatwidget::chatwidget path ?options?
              Create a new chatwidget using the Tk window id path. Any options
              provided are currently passed directly to the main chat text
              widget.

WIDGET COMMANDS
       $widget topic command args
              The chat widget can display a topic string, for instance the
              topic or name given to a multi-user chatroom or irc channel.

              show   Enable display of the topic.

              hide   Disable display of the topic

              set topic
                     Set the topic text to topic.

       $widget name nick args
              Control the names and tags associated with names.

              list ?-full?
                     Returns a list of all the user names from the names view.
                     If ?-full? is given then the list returned is a list of
                     lists where each sublist is made up of the nick followed
                     by any options that have been set on this nick entry.
                     This may be used to examine any application specific
                     options that may be applied to a nick when using the add
                     command.

              add nick ?options?

              delete nick

       $widget message text args
              Add messages to the display. options are -nick, -time, -type,
              -mark -tags

       $widget hook command args
              Manage hooks. add (message, post names_group, names_nick,
              chatstate), remove, run

       $widget names args
              Passthrough to the name display text widget. See the text widget
              manual for all available commands. The chatwidget provides two
              additional commands show and hide which are used to control the
              display of this element in the widget.

       $widget entry args
              Passthrough to the entry text widget. See the text widget manual
              for all available commands.

       $widget chat args
              Passthrough to the chat text widget. See the text widget manual
              for all available commands.

EXAMPLE
              chatwidget::chatwidget .chat
              proc speak {w msg} {$w message $msg -nick user}
              .chat hook add post [list speak .chat]
              pack .chat -side top -fill both -expand 1
              .chat topic show
              .chat topic set "Chat widget demo"
              .chat name add "admin" -group admin
              .chat name add "user" -group users -color tomato
              .chat message "Chatwidget ready" -type system
              .chat message "Hello, user" -nick admin
              .chat message "Hello, admin" -nick user


       A more extensive example is available by examining the code for the
       picoirc program in the tclapps repository which ties the tcllib picoirc
       package to this chatwidget package to create a simple irc client.

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK
       This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain
       bugs and other problems.  Please report such in the category chatwidget
       of the Tklib Trackers [http://core.tcl.tk/tklib/reportlist].  Please
       also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either package
       and/or documentation.

SEE ALSO
       text(n)

KEYWORDS
       chat, chatwidget, composite widget, irc, mega-widget, widget



tklib                                1.0.0                       chatwidget(n)
