ptksh(1)
NAME
ptksh - Perl/Tk script to provide a graphical user
interface for testing Perl/Tk commands and scripts.
SYNOPSIS
% ptksh ?scriptfile?
... version information ...
ptksh> $b=$mw->Button(-text=>'Hi',-command=>sub{print
'Hi'})
ptksh> $b->pack
ptksh> o $b
... list of options ...
ptksh> help
... help information ...
ptksh> exit
%
DESCRIPTION
ptksh is a perl/Tk shell to enter perl commands
interactively. When one starts ptksh a MainWindow is
automaticly created, along with a ptksh command window.
One can access the main window by typing commands using
the variable $mw at the 'ptksh> ' prompt of the command
window.
ptksh supports command line editing and history. Just
type "<Up>" at the command prompt to see a history list.
The last 50 commands entered are saved, then reloaded into
history list the next time you start ptksh.
ptksh supports some convenient commands for inspecting Tk
widgets. See below.
To exit ptksh use: exit.
ptksh is *not* a full symbolic debugger. To debug perl/Tk
programs at a low level use the more powerful perl
debugger. (Just enter ``O tk'' on debuggers command line
to start the Tk eventloop.)
FEATURES
History
Press <Up> (the Up Arrow) in the perlwish window to obtain
a gui-based history list. Press <Enter> on any history
line to enter it into the perlwish window. Then hit
return. So, for example, repeat last command is
<Up><Enter><Enter>. You can quit the history window with
<Escape>. NOTE: history is only saved if exit is
"graceful" (i.e. by the "exit" command from the console or
by quitting all main windows--NOT by interrupt).
Debugging Support
ptksh provides some convenience function to make browsing
in perl/Tk widget easier:
- ?, or h
- displays a short help summary.
- d ?args, ...?
- Dumps recursively arguments to stdout. (see the
Data::Dumper manpage). You must have <Data::Dumper> installed to support this feature. - p ?arg, ...?
- appends "|0 to each of it's arguments and prints it.
If value is undef, '(undef)' is printed to stdout. - o $widget ?-option ...?
- prints the option(s) of $widget one on each line. If
no options are given all options of the widget are
listed. See the Tk::options manpage for more details on the format and contents of the returned list. - o $widget /regexp/
- Lists options of $widget matching the regular
expression regexp. - u ?class?
- If no argument is given it lists the modules loaded by
the commands you executed or since the last time you
called u. - If argument is the empty string lists all modules that
are loaded by ptksh. - If argument is a string, ``text'' it tries to do a
``use Tk::Text;''. - Packages
- Ptksh compiles into package Tk::ptksh. Your code is
eval'ed into package main. The coolness of this is that
your eval code should not interfere with ptksh itself. - Multiline Commands
- ptksh will accept multiline commands. Simply put a "
character immediately before the newline, and ptksh will
continue your command onto the next line. - Source File Support
- If you have a perl/Tk script that you want to do debugging
on, try running the command
ptksh> do 'myscript';
-- or (at shell command prompt) -- % ptksh myscript
- Then use the perl/Tk commands to try out different
operations on your script.
ENVIRONMENT
Looks for your .ptksh_history in the directory specified
by the $HOME environment variable ($HOMEPATH on Win32
systems).
FILES
- .ptksh_init
- If found in current directory it is read in an
evaluated after the mainwindow $mw is created.
.ptksh_init can contain any valid perl code. - ~/.ptksh_history
- Contains the last 50 lines entered in ptksh
session(s).
PITFALLS
It is best not to use "my" in the commands you type into
ptksh. For example "my $v" will make $v local just to the
command or commands entered until <Return> is pressed.
For a related reason, there are no file-scopy "my"
variables in the ptksh code itself (else the user might
trounce on them by accident).
BUGS
Tk::MainLoop function interactively entered or sourced in
a init or script file will block ptksh.
SEE ALSO
Tk perldebug
VERSION
VERSION 2.01 6/18/98
AUTHORS
Mike Beller <beller@penvision.com>, Achim Bohnet
<ach@mpe.mpg.de>
Copyright (c) 1996 - 1998 Achim Bohnet and Mike Beller.
All rights reserved. This program is free software; you
can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms
as Perl itself.
- commands and scripts."