WIMENU(1)WIMENU(1)NAMEwimenu - The wmii menu program
SYNOPSISwimenu [-i] [-h <history file>] [-n <history count>] [-p <prompt>]
wimenu-v
DESCRIPTIONwimenu is wmii's standard menu program. It's used extensively by wmii
and related programs to prompt the user for input. The standard config‐
uration uses it to launch programs, select views, and perform standard
actions. It supports basic item completion and history searching.
BASIC ARGUMENTS
Normal use of wimenu shouldn't require any arguments other than the
following. More advanced options are documented below.
-h <history file>
Causes wimenu to read its command history from <history file>
and to append its result to that file if -n is given.
-i Causes matching of completion items to be performed in a case
insensitive manner.
-n <count>
Write at most <count> items back to the history file. The file
is never modified unless this option is provided. Duplicates are
filtered out within a 20 item sliding window before this limit
is imposed.
-p <prompt>
The string <prompt> will be show before the input field when the
menu is opened.
ADVANCED ARGUMENTS-a The address at which to connect to wmii.
-K Prevents wimenu from initializing its default key bindings.
WARNING: If you do this, be sure to bind a key with the Accept
or Reject action, or you will have no way to exit wimenu.
-k <key file>
Key bindings will be read from <key file>. Bindings appear as:
<key> [action] [args]
where <key> is a key name, similar to the format used by wmii.
For action and args, please refer to the default bindings, pro‐
vided in the source distribution under cmd/menu/keys.txt, or use
strings(1) on the wimenu executable (this level of customization
is reserved for the determined).
-s <screen>
Suggests that the menu open on Xinerama screen <screen>.
-S <command separator>
Causes each input item to be split at the first occurance of
<command sep>. The text to the left of the separator is dis‐
played as a menu option, and the text to the right is displayed
when a selection is made.
CUSTOM COMPLETION
Custom, multipart completion data may be proveded by an external appli‐
cation. When the standard input is not a TTY, processing of a set of
completions stops at every blank line. After the first new line or
EOF, wimenu displays the first set of menu items, and waits for further
input. The completion items may be replaced by writing out a new set,
again followed by a new line. Every set following the first must begin
with a line containing a single decimal number specifying where the new
completion results are to be spliced into the input. When an item is
selected, text from this position to the position of the caret is
replaced.
ARGUMENTS
-c Prints the contents of the input buffer each time the user
inputs a character, as such:
<text before caret>\n<text after caret>\n
EXAMPLE
Let's assume that a script would like to provide a menu with comple‐
tions first for a command name, then for arguments to that command.
Given three commands and argument sets,
foo
1, 2, 3
bar
4, 5, 6
baz
7, 8, 9
the following script provides the appropriate completions:
#!/bin/sh -f
rm fifo
mkfifo fifo
# Open wimenu with a fifo as its stdin
wimenu-c <fifo | awk '
BEGIN {
# Define the completion results
cmds = "foo\nbar\nbaz\n"
cmd["foo"] = "1\n2\n3\n"
cmd["bar"] = "4\n5\n6\n"
cmd["baz"] = "7\n8\n9\n"
# Print the first set of completions to wimenu’s fifo
fifo = "fifo"
print cmds >fifo; fflush(fifo)
}
# Store the last line we get and print it when done
{ last = $0 }
END { print last }
# Push out a new set of completions
function update(str, opts) {
print length(str) >fifo # Print the length of the preceding string
print opts >fifo # and the options themself
fflush(fifo)
}
# Ensure correct argument count with trailing spaces
/ $/ { $0 = $0 "#"; }
{ # Process the input and provide the completions
if (NF == 1)
update("", cmds) # The first arg, command choices
else
update($1 " ", cmd[$1]) # The second arg, command arguments
# Skip the trailing part of the command
getline rest
}
'
In theory, this facility can be used for myriad purposes, including
hijacking the programmable completion facilities of most shells.
ENVIRONMENT
$WMII_ADDRESS
The address at which to connect to wmii.
$NAMESPACE
The namespace directory to use if no address is provided.
SEE ALSOwmii(1), wmiir(1), wmii9menu(1), dmenu(1)
[1] http://www.suckless.org/wiki/wmii/tips/9p_tips
wmii-3.9.2 Oct, 2009 WIMENU(1)
