option(3Tk)							   option(3Tk)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     option - Add/retrieve window options to/from the option database

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     option add	pattern	value ?priority?

     option clear

     option get	window name class

     option readfile fileName ?priority?

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The option	command	allows you to add entries to the Tk option database or
     to	retrieve options from the database.  The add form of the command adds
     a new option to the database.  Pattern contains the option	being
     specified,	and consists of	names and/or classes separated by asterisks or
     dots, in the usual	X format.  Value contains a text string	to associate
     with pattern;  this is the	value that will	be returned in calls to
     Tk_GetOption or by	invocations of the option get command.	If priority is
     specified,	it indicates the priority level	for this option	(see below for
     legal values);  it	defaults to interactive.  This command always returns
     an	empty string.

     The option	clear command clears the option	database.  Default options
     (from the RESOURCE_MANAGER	property or the	.Xdefaults file) will be
     reloaded automatically the	next time an option is added to	the database
     or	removed	from it.  This command always returns an empty string.

     The option	get command returns the	value of the option specified for
     window under name and class.  If several entries in the option database
     match window, name, and class, then the command returns whichever was
     created with highest priority level.  If there are	several	matching
     entries at	the same priority level, then it returns whichever entry was
     most recently entered into	the option database.  If there are no matching
     entries, then the empty string is returned.

     The readfile form of the command reads fileName, which should have	the
     standard format for an X resource database	such as	.Xdefaults, and	adds
     all the options specified in that file to the option database.  If
     priority is specified, it indicates the priority level at which to	enter
     the options;  priority defaults to	interactive.

     The priority arguments to the option command are normally specified
     symbolically using	one of the following values:

     widgetDefault
	  Level	20.  Used for default values hard-coded	into widgets.






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option(3Tk)							   option(3Tk)



     startupFile
	  Level	40.  Used for options specified	in application-specific
	  startup files.

     userDefault
	  Level	60.  Used for options specified	in user-specific defaults
	  files, such as .Xdefaults, resource databases	loaded into the	X
	  server, or user-specific startup files.

     interactive
	  Level	80.  Used for options specified	interactively after the
	  application starts running.  If priority isn't specified, it
	  defaults to this level.

     Any of the	above keywords may be abbreviated.  In addition, priorities
     may be specified numerically using	integers between 0 and 100, inclusive.
     The numeric form is probably a bad	idea except for	new priority levels
     other than	the ones given above.

KEYWORDS    [Toc]    [Back]

     database, option, priority, retrieve


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