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Tcl/Tk in a Nutshell

A Desktop Quick Reference

By Paul Raines, Jeff Tranter

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Release Date: April 2009

Pages: 455

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The Tcl language and Tk graphical toolkit are simple and powerful building blocks for custom applications. The Tcl/Tk combination is increasingly popular because it lets you produce sophisticated graphical interfaces with a few easy commands, develop and change scripts quickly, and conveniently tie together existing utilities or programming libraries. One of the attractive features of Tcl/Tk is the wide variety of commands, many offering a wealth of options. Most of the things you'd like to do have been anticipated by the language's creator, John Ousterhout, or one of the developers of Tcl/Tk's many powerful extensions. Thus, you'll find that a command or option probably exists to provide just what you need. And that's why it's valuable to have a quick reference that briefly describes every command and option in the core Tcl/Tk distribution as well as the most popular extensions. Keep this book on your desk as you write scripts, and you'll be able to find almost instantly the particular option you need. Most chapters consist of alphabetical listings. Since Tk and mega-widget packages break down commands by widget, the chapters on these topics are organized by widget along with a section of core commands where appropriate. Contents include:

Core Tcl and Tk commands and Tk widgets
C interface (prototypes)
Expect
[incr Tcl] and [incr Tk]
Tix
TclX
BLT
Oratcl, SybTcl, and Tclodbc

Chapter 1 Introduction
1. What Is Tcl?
2. Structure of This Book
Chapter 2 Tcl Core Commands
1. Overview
2. Basic Language Features
3. Command-Line Options
4. Environment Variables
5. Special Variables
6. Backslash Substitutions
7. Operators and Math Functions
8. Regular Expressions
9. Pattern Globbing
10. Predefined I/O Channel Identifiers
11. Group Listing of Commands
12. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 3 Tk Core Commands
1. Example
2. Command-Line Options
3. Environment Variable
4. Special Variables
5. Group Listing of Tk Commands
6. Widget Overview
7. Widget Commands
8. Utility Commands
Chapter 4 The Tcl C Interface
1. Constants
2. Data Types
3. Group Listing of Functions
4. Alphabetical Summary of Functions
Chapter 5 The Tk C Interface
1. Constants
2. Data Types
3. Group Listing of Functions
4. Alphabetical Summary of Functions
Chapter 6 Expect
1. Overview
2. Example
3. Command-Line Options
4. Environment Variables
5. Special Variables
6. Grouped Summary of Commands
7. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 7 [incr Tcl]
1. Basic Class Definition
2. Special Variables
3. Group Listing of Commands
4. Example
5. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 8 [incr Tk]
1. Basic Structure of a Mega-widget
2. Special Variable
3. Methods and Variables
4. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 9 Tix
1. Tix Overview
2. Special Variables
3. Group Listing of Tix Commands
4. Tix Mega-widget Overview
5. Tix Mega-widgets
6. Tix Standard Widgets Overview
7. Tix Standard Widgets
8. Tix Core Commands
9. Tix Extensions to Tk image Command
Chapter 10 TclX
1. Special Variables
2. Group Listing of Commands
3. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 11 BLT
1. Environment Variable
2. Special Variables
3. Group Listing of Commands
4. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 12 Oratcl
1. Overview
2. Example
3. Environment Variables
4. Special Variables
5. Group Listing of Commands
6. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 13 Sybtcl
1. Overview
2. Example
3. Environment Variables
4. Special Variables
5. Group Listing of Commands
6. Alphabetical Summary of Commands
Chapter 14 Tclodbc
1. Overview
2. Group Listing of Commands
3. Summary of Commands
Chapter 15 Hints and Tips for the Tcl Programmer
1. Think Commands, Not Statements
2. Comments Are Treated as Commands
3. A Symbolic Gesture
4. Lists Are Strings, but Not All Strings Are Lists
5. Indirect References
6. Executing Other Programs
7. When Is a Number Not a Number?
8. Quoting and More Quoting
9. Write Once, Run Where?
10. Common Tk Errors
11. Use the Source, Luke!

Appendix Tcl Resources
1. Web Sites
2. Usenet Newsgroups
3. Mailing Lists
Colophon

Books & Videos

Tcl/Tk in a Nutshell

A Desktop Quick Reference

Read on Safari with a 10-day trial

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

What Is Tcl?

Structure of This Book

Chapter 2 Tcl Core Commands

Overview

Basic Language Features

Command-Line Options

Environment Variables

Special Variables

Backslash Substitutions

Operators and Math Functions

Regular Expressions

Pattern Globbing

Predefined I/O Channel Identifiers

Group Listing of Commands

Alphabetical Summary of Commands

Chapter 3 Tk Core Commands

Example

Command-Line Options

Environment Variable

Special Variables

Group Listing of Tk Commands

Widget Overview

Widget Commands

Utility Commands

Chapter 4 The Tcl C Interface

Constants

Data Types

Group Listing of Functions

Alphabetical Summary of Functions

Chapter 5 The Tk C Interface

Constants

Data Types

Group Listing of Functions

Alphabetical Summary of Functions

Chapter 6 Expect

Overview

Example

Command-Line Options

Environment Variables

Special Variables

Grouped Summary of Commands

Alphabetical Summary of Commands

Chapter 7 [incr Tcl]

Basic Class Definition

Special Variables

Group Listing of Commands

Example

Alphabetical Summary of Commands

Chapter 8 [incr Tk]

Basic Structure of a Mega-widget

Special Variable

Methods and Variables

Alphabetical Summary of Commands

Chapter 9 Tix

Tix Overview

Special Variables

Group Listing of Tix Commands

Tix Mega-widget Overview

Tix Mega-widgets

Tix Standard Widgets Overview

Tix Standard Widgets

Tix Core Commands

Tix Extensions to Tk image Command

Chapter 10 TclX

Special Variables

Group Listing of Commands

Alphabetical Summary of Commands

Chapter 11 BLT

Environment Variable

Special Variables

Group Listing of Commands

Alphabetical Summary of Commands

Chapter 12 Oratcl

Overview