How to add both a text entry option for file location entry and also a file search option using file search

[Ganesh Bharadwaj1]

Dear Monks,

I have been working on a code for getting some information from the user using GUI and also generating a text file, which I need to manipulate later. What I want to do is for the user to enter the file at the file entry location. What I am looking for is how to add a button at the side of the file name entry location, so that the user can either enter the location of the file or use the button to open a file dialog box. Once the user clicks and opens the dialog box to enter the file information, I want the user to also be able to see the file location in the entry text location for the file entry. Could you kindly help me with this.

#!/usr/local/bin/perl
use Tk;

#Global Variables
my $bins = 10;
my $process = "180nm";

# Main Window
my $mw = new MainWindow;

#GUI Building Area: User specifies file location
my $frm_name = $mw -> Frame();
my $lab = $frm_name -> Label(-text=>"File Name:");
my $ent = $frm_name -> Entry();

#Number of bins
my $scl = $mw -> Scale(-label=>"Number of bins :",
     -orient=>'h',         -digit=>1,
     -from=>10,        -to=>100,
     -variable=>\$bins,    -tickinterval=>25);

#Select the process
my $frm_process = $mw -> Frame();
my $lbl_process = $frm_process -> Label(-text=>"Process ");
my $rdb_40 = $frm_process -> Radiobutton(-text=>"40nm:GF",  
        -value=>"40nm",  -variable=>\$process);
my $rdb_65 = $frm_process -> Radiobutton(-text=>"65nm:GF",
        -value=>"65nm",-variable=>\$process);
my $rdb_140 = $frm_process -> Radiobutton(-text=>"140nm:NXP",  
        -value=>"140nm",  -variable=>\$process);
my $rdb_180 = $frm_process -> Radiobutton(-text=>"180nm:GF",
        -value=>"180nm",-variable=>\$process);


my $but = $mw -> Button(-text=>"Push Me", -command =>\&push_button);

#Text Area
my $textarea = $mw -> Frame();
my $txt = $textarea -> Text(-width=>40, -height=>10);
my $srl_y = $textarea -> Scrollbar(-orient=>'v',-command=>[yview => $t
+xt]);
my $srl_x = $textarea -> Scrollbar(-orient=>'h',-command=>[xview => $t
+xt]);
$txt -> configure(-yscrollcommand=>['set', $srl_y],
        -xscrollcommand=>['set',$srl_x]);

#Geometry Management
$lab -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>1);
$ent -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>2);
$scl -> grid(-row=>2,-column=>1, -ipadx =>100);
$frm_name -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>1,-columnspan=>2);

$lbl_process -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>1);
$rdb_40 -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>2);
$rdb_65 -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>3);
$rdb_140 -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>4);
$rdb_180 -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>5);
$frm_process -> grid(-row=>3,-column=>1,-columnspan=>2);

$but -> grid(-row=>4,-column=>1,-columnspan=>2);

$txt -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>1);
$srl_y -> grid(-row=>1,-column=>2,-sticky=>"ns");
$srl_x -> grid(-row=>2,-column=>1,-sticky=>"ew");
$textarea -> grid(-row=>5,-column=>1,-columnspan=>2);

MainLoop;

## Functions
#This function will be executed when the button is pushed
sub push_button {
    my $name = $ent -> get();
open(my $in0, '>', 'input.txt')
    or die "Cannot open input.txt file: $!. You might need to run the 
+script from a location where you have write access";

print $in0 $name, "\n";
print $in0 $process, "\n";
print $in0 $bins, "\n";

close $in0;

    $txt -> insert('end',"Process is $process. File location is $name 
+and selected bins is $bins.\n");
}

Here is the code I found for searching a file for open.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w 
use strict;

use Tk;

my $mw = MainWindow->new;
$mw->geometry("400x400+0+0");


my $menu_f = $mw->Frame()->pack(-side=>'top',-fill=>'x');
my $menu_file = $menu_f->Menubutton
                    (-text=>'File',-tearoff=>'false')
                    ->pack(-side=>'left');
$menu_file->command(-label=>'Open',
            -command=> \&get_file); 
#other menu buttons shown here as examples ...
#$menu_file->command(-label=>'Save',
#            -command=> \&save_log); 
#$menu_file->command(-label=>'Close',
#            -command=> \&close_log);             
#$menu_file->command(-label=>'Exit',-command=>\&exit_msg);
                    

sub get_file 
{
  my @types =
       (["Log files", [qw/.txt .log/]],
        ["All files",        '*'],
       );
  my $filepath = $mw->getOpenFile(-filetypes => \@types) or return();
  print "$filepath selected\n";
  return($filepath);
}

MainLoop;

thanks, regards, Ganesh.

[choroba]

I used a text variable to share the file path. The variable is scoped around the command invoked by the button, so selecting the file changes the path in the entry. I packed the entry later, though, to have the button packed first.

Have you noticed how the following sample is shorter than the original? It only contains the related parts, i.e. the file name selection.

#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;

use Tk;

my $mw       = 'Tk::MainWindow'->new(-title => 'File path test');
my $f        = $mw->Frame->pack;
my $file_w   = $f->Entry(-textvariable => \ (my $file = '/'));
my $file_b   = $f->Button( -text    => 'Open File',
                           -command => sub { $file = $mw->getOpenFile 
+},
)->pack;
$file_w->pack;
my $show_b   = $f->Button( -text => 'Show',
                           -command => sub {
                               open my $FH, '<', $file or die $!;
                               print while <$FH>;
                           })->pack;

MainLoop();

[stefbv]

This is how I would do it:

Read more... (5 kB)

I think it looks a little better... :)

Regards, Stefan.