Dialog Utility --help needed!

AN28 · 10-01-2013, 01:47 AM

Hi,

Has anyone tried using the dialog utility ??

I tried implementing a few box options available but I can't seem to figure our how to activate the help button.

e.g: If implement a menu box as given below, then how can I give an action to the help button? I tried adding the help button exit status "2" to the case statement but it doesn't get activated :-/

Code:

function test(){
	dialog --clear  --help-button --backtitle "" \--title "" \--menu "\n\n:" 30 60 15 \
	Menu_1 "" \
	Menu_2 "" \
	Menu_3 "" \
	Menu_4 "" \
	Menu_5 "" 2>"${INPUT}"
	 
	key=$(<"${INPUT}")
	
	 case $key in 
		Menu_1)  ;;
		Menu_2)  ;;
		Menu_3)  ;;
		Menu_4)  ;;
		Menu_5) ;; break;;
	esac

	}

dickey · 10-01-2013, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AN28

Hi,

Has anyone tried using the dialog utility ??

Hightek is old...
Dialog is at http://invisible-island.net/dialog/

Quote:

I tried implementing a few box options available but I can't seem to figure our how to activate the help button.

e.g: If implement a menu box as given below, then how can I give an action to the help button? I tried adding the help button exit status "2" to the case statement but it doesn't get activated :-/

Code:

function test(){
	dialog --clear  --help-button --backtitle "" \--title "" \--menu "\n\n:" 30 60 15 \
	Menu_1 "" \
	Menu_2 "" \
	Menu_3 "" \
	Menu_4 "" \
	Menu_5 "" 2>"${INPUT}"
        RC=$?

The help-button is detected by checking the shell variable "$?", or you could pick it
up in the case statement using a pattern like this:

Code:

	key=$(<"${INPUT}")
	
	 case $key in
                HELP*)  echo Got Help! ;;
		Menu_1)  ;;
		Menu_2)  ;;
		Menu_3)  ;;
		Menu_4)  ;;
		Menu_5) ;; break;;
	esac
	}

[/QUOTE]

AN28 · 10-01-2013, 10:24 PM

Hey, thanks for the information but I still do not get the echo statement when I select HELP...

This is what I tried

Quote:

# Store menu options selected by the user
INPUT=/tmp/menu.sh.$$

# Storage file for displaying cal and date command output
OUTPUT=/tmp/output.sh.$$

# get text editor or fall back to vi_editor
vi_editor=${EDITOR-vi}

# trap and delete temp files
trap "rm $OUTPUT; rm $INPUT; exit" SIGHUP SIGINT SIGTERM

#
# Purpose - display output using msgbox
# $1 -> set msgbox height
# $2 -> set msgbox width
# $3 -> set msgbox title
#
function display_output(){
local h=${1-10} # box height default 10
local w=${2-41} # box width default 41
local t=${3-Output} # box title
dialog --backtitle "Linux Shell Script Tutorial" --title "${t}" --clear --msgbox "$(<$OUTPUT)" ${h} ${w}
}
#
# Purpose - display current system date & time
#
function show_date(){
echo "Today is $(date) @ $(hostname -f)." >$OUTPUT
display_output 6 60 "Date and Time"
}
#
# Purpose - display a calendar
#
function show_calendar(){
cal >$OUTPUT
display_output 13 25 "Calendar"
}
#
# set infinite loop
#
while true
do

### display main menu ###
dialog --clear --help-button --backtitle "Linux Shell Script Tutorial" \
--title "[ M A I N - M E N U ]" \
--menu "You can use the UP/DOWN arrow keys, the first \n\
letter of the choice as a hot key, or the \n\
number keys 1-9 to choose an option.\n\
Choose the TASK" 15 50 4 \
Date/time "Displays date and time" \
Calendar "Displays a calendar" \
Editor "Start a text editor" \
Exit "Exit to the shell" 2>"${INPUT}"

rc=$?
menuitem=$(<"${INPUT}")

# make decsion
case $menuitem in
HELP*) echo "Got HELP!" ;;
Date/time) show_date;;
Calendar) show_calendar;;
Editor) $vi_editor;;
Exit) echo "Bye"; break;;
esac

done

# if temp files found, delete em
[ -f $OUTPUT ] && rm $OUTPUT
[ -f $INPUT ] && rm $INPUT