controlwidget(n) controlwidget controlwidget(n)


controlwidget - Collection of widgets for displaying and controlling numerical values

package require Tcl ?8.5?

package require Tk ?8.5?

package require snit ?2.0?

package require controlwidget ?0.1?

::controlwidget::meter w args

::controlwidget::slider w args

::controlwidget::equalizerBar w args

::controlwidget::thermometer w args

::controlwidget::voltmeter w args

::controlwidget::tachometer w args

::controlwidget::rdial w args

$widget get

$widget set value

::controlwidget::led w args

::controlwidget::radioMatrix w args

$led on

$led off

$led setstate state

$matrix get

$matrix set index


The controlwidget package focuses on the display and interactive control of numerical values. It mimicks several of the meters and controls found in laboratory settings but also daily life: volt meters, equalizers and tachometers to name a few. They can be seen as alternatives for the scale widget.

Note: The package has not sofar been tested extensively, and that may result in an unexpected appearance if you use sizes that are different than the defaults. Also not all options for the coloring of the various parts and fonts and so on have been tested, so that may be another source of bugs.

A last note: some parts have not been included in any option, most notably the colors of parts that require lighter and darker shades to cooperate.

The package distinguishes several typed of widgets:

All widgets have in common, however, that you can connect them to a variable and that changing the variable changes the display. Forthermore, all widgets have the set and get methods to interact with the value that the widget displays (whether that is stored in a global variable or not).

They also have in common that their appearance and behaviour is determined by one or more options that you can set at creation time and often later on as well. The widgets are all based on the snit package, so that the methods configure and cget are available to set and get these options.

Currently the package contains these widgets of the vertical meter type:

::controlwidget::meter w args
Create a vertical meter consisting of an axis and a moveable arrow.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget:
Name of the variable to be associated with the meter
Background color for the widget
Height of the widget
Width of the widget
Thickness of the displayed arrow in pixels
Color of the displayed arrow
Whether the arrow can be moved interactively or not
::controlwidget::slider w args
Create a widget containing one or more vertical sliders and an axis. You can shift the slider handles interactively via the mouse.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget:
Name of the (list) variable to be associated with the widget
Number of sliders in the widget
Background color for the widget
Height of the widget
Width of the widget
Thickness of the slider handles
Width of the slider handles
Width of the troughs holding the sliders
::controlwidget::equalizerBar w args
Create a widget containing one or more vertical bars resembling those found on hifi graphical equalizers. Note that it is a read-only widget.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget:
Name of the (list) variable to be associated with the widget
Number of bars in the widget
Background color for the widget
Height of the widget
Width of the widget
Width of the bars
Number of segments the bars are divided in
Color for values lower than the warning level
Color for values greater than the warning level
Threshold value, determines at what level the color changes
::controlwidget::thermometer w args
Create a thermometer widget (read-only)
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget:
Name of the (list) variable to be associated with the widget
Background color for the widget
Height of the widget
Width of the widget
Thickness of the line representing the "temperature"
Color of the line

These widgets all use a vertical axis and have the following options in common for configuring the axis:

Format string for formatting the numbers along the axis
Name of the font to be used for the numbers
Color of the axis (including the numbers)
Lower value for the axis
Upper value for the axis
Number of major tickmarks to draw (each is labelled)
Number of minor tickmarks to draw between two major tickmarks
Use a logarithmic axis (true) or a linear axis (false)

The package contains the following widget based on angle displays:

::controlwidget::voltmeter w args
Create a voltmeter-like widget.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget:
Name of the variable to be associated with the meter
Value for the meter (if not associated with a variable)
The minimum value for data in the display
The maximum value for data in the display
The labels to be shown along the scale. (These are simply considered texts, so no relation with the minimum and maximum perse)
String to be shown below the dial
The width of the widget
The height of the widget
The width of the border surrounding the entire widget
The relief of the border surrounding the entire widget
The width of the border to indicate the widget has keyboard focus
Font of the labels to the scale
Font of the title below the dial
Color of the dial holding the needle
Color of the needle
Color of the scale (arc and tickmarks)
Color of the labels to the scale
Color of the title below the dial
::controlwidget::tachometer w args
Create a tachometer-like widget.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget. In addition to the ones given for the voltmeter widget:
Name of the variable to be associated with the meter
Value for the meter (if not associated with a variable)
Level above which values are indicated with a different color
Color for the values above the "danger level"
Width for the colored band indicating the "danger level"
Color for the needle and the pin
::controlwidget::rdial w args
Create a rotating dial. You can drag the dial to change the value. With the shift button depressed the value changes slowly, with the control button depressed it changes fast.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget:
Name of the variable to be associated with the dial
Value for the dial (if not associated with a variable)
Whether a horizontal disk/dial is required ("horizontal") or a vertical one ("vertical")
Initial step for incrementing or decrementing the value
Factor on the step size for incrementing or decrementing the value slowly
Factor on the step size for incrementing or decrementing the value fast
Scale value to be applied to the actual value
Command to be called when the value changes
The width of the widget
The height of the widget
The background color of the widget (coloring of the disk/dial)
The foreground color of the widget (the marker lines)

All these widgets have the following methods:

$widget get
Return the current value or values shown in the widget
$widget set value
Reset the value or values shown in the widget. If the widget is associated with a variable, that variable is set as well.
New value or values for the widget

Two further widgets are available, meant to display logical values:

::controlwidget::led w args
Create a LED-like widget.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget. In addition to the ones given for the voltmeter widget:
Name of the variable to be associated with the LED
Diameter of the LED widget
Color to use for the "on" state
Color to use for the "off" state
::controlwidget::radioMatrix w args
Create a matrix of radio buttons that behaves as a single widget.
Name of the widget to be created.
List of key-value pairs, controlling the appearance and behaviour of the widget. In addition to the ones given for the voltmeter widget:
Name of the variable to be associated with the matrix
The way the radio buttons are to be arranged (horizontal or vertical first)
Number of rows in the matrix
Number of columns in the matrix
Command associated with the radio buttons. Invoked when the active radio button changes.

The LED widget has the following public methods:

$led on
Set the state to "on"
$led off
Set the state to "off"
$led setstate state
Set the state according to the value of "state"
New state for the LED widget

The radioMatrix widget has two public methods:

$matrix get
Return the index of the currently selected radio button
$matrix set index
Select the radio button with index "index"
Index of the radio button to be set

The code for most of these widgets first appeared on the Wiki. In many cases, Arjen Markus merely refactored the code a bit and "snitified" some of them. The original code was developed by the following people:

controlling, displaying, numerical values, scale widget

Copyright (c) 2010 Ron Fox <rfox@...>
Copyright (c) 2010 Gerhard Reithofer <...@...>
Copyright (c) 2010 Marco Maggi <...@...>
Copyright (c) 2010 Arjen Markus <arjenmarkus@users.sourceforge.net>
0.1 controlwidget