xref: /freebsd/contrib/dialog/README (revision 43a5ec4eb41567cc92586503212743d89686d78f)
1-(1999-12-25)-------------------------------------------------------------------
2This version of dialog, formerly known as cdialog is based on the Debian
3package for dialog 0.9a (see CHANGES for recent modifications)
4- T.Dickey <dickey@invisible-island.net>
5
6-(1996-01-15)-------------------------------------------------------------------
7I have uploaded cdialog-0.9a.tar.gz to sunsite. It should be moved
8to pub/Linux/utils/shell, I think.
9
10Starting point for cdialog v.0.9a was dialog-0.6c. Many new features
11like as Resolution-independence, Auto-sizing, Maximizing, more widget
12on the same screen (multi-widget), etc. were added. New widget are
13tailbox and tailbox-in-background. Here are the options:
14
15   Usage: dialog <Common options> <Box options>
16          { --and-widget <Common options> <Box options> }
17
18   Common options: <Global options>
19       [--backtitle <backtitle>] [--sleep <secs>] [--beep] [--beep-after]
20       [--clear] [--begin <y> <x>] [--aspect <ratio>] [--print-size]
21       [--print-maxsize] [--size-err] [--separate-output] [--cr-wrap]
22       [--tab-len <n>] [--tab-correct] [--print-version] [--no-kill]
23       [--title <title>]
24
25   Global options: [--shadow] [--no-shadow] [--separate-widget "<str>"]
26
27At the moment, mouse support with libgpm can't be added because it
28does't implement the wtimeout() function of ncurses. Wtimeout() is
29needed to have more widgets (es.tailbox) cooperating on the same
30screen... I don't know if with newer versions of libgpm it's possible.
31
32I have no more time to write docs for this new version...Is there
33anyone, that looking at the code, can do it??? Ouch! :-)
34Don't flame me!
35
36For the future, if any volunteer want, the way to evolve cdialog is to
371) make a daemon for a better support of multi-tasking or implementing
38   multithreading.
392) add an option that could permit to read commands (--options) from a
40   file, like as in a normal programming language, but maintaining
41   compatibility with older version of dialog.
42
43I no longer could maintain cdialog...
44Executable and library name of cdialog are the same of dialog, for
45compatibility.
46
47I think that only one directive should be follow: don't use a resource
48like stdin, stdout when you'll write new options for cdialog; these
49resources have to be shared from all widgets on the command line.
50Guage uses stdin :-/ so that can't be mixed for example with an inputbox,
51but it was made before of multi-widget. However this is not a big problem!
52
53THERE ARE NO *KNOWN* BUGS. If anyone has much time and can find the way
54to add wtimeout() support to libgpm, also mouse could be supported.
55
56Please use ncurses-1.9.4 or newer.
57
58|  __   |  demarco_p@abramo.it:~$ make Linux | more > UserFriendly;
59| /__)  |  /~~  _   _ _   _   /~\  _     /  .  _          |
60|/  ako | (___ (_) | ) ) (-' (__/ | )   /__ | | ) (_| ><  .  coordinator.
61
62