gtkmenuplus - release 1.1.10 2019-11-28

[step]

Just added a new Quicklaunch application menu for gtkmenuplus, see the second post.

[step]

Release 1.1.5 - 02-Mar-2017

Recommended upgrade.
Downloads and change log in first post.

Changes since release 1.1.4 03-Jan-2017:
New:
- Automatically add menu label mnemonic (choice of first character or round-the-clock character sequence)
Fixed:
- Non-comment '#' wasn't allowed in cmd=, if=, elseif=, variable==.
- Dealing with oversized input lines.
- Memory leak.
- Missing initialization.
Other minor improvements, fixes and documentation updates.

[step]

New application script "tray-radio" added. See the second post in this thread.
Tray-radio: your Internet radio stations and media files in a tray icon menu.

[step]

Release 1.1.6 - 06-Sep-2017

Recommended upgrade.
Downloads and change log in first post.

Changes since release 1.1.5 02-Mar-2017:
New:
- launcher=link -> ... -> app.desktop works. Before one could only do
launcher=app.desktop
- Assign quoted values to variables.
Improved:
- Handle more cases where '#' isn't a comment.
- Documentation and tests.
Fixed:
- Infinite loop (legacy).
- Unassigned parameter means FALSE (regression).
Other minor improvements, fixes and documentation updates.

[step]

Release 1.1.8 - 16-Sep-2018

Recommended upgrade.
Downloads and change log in the first post.

Changes since release 1.1.6 06-Sep-2017:

New:
- Add option -q(uiet) to keep stdout uncluttered.
- Markdown and Unix-style manuals: usage(1), menu format(5).
Changed:
- The GTK3 version is compiled to force displaying menu icons because by default GTK3 hides menu icons.
- Improved documentation and error/help messages.
Fixed:
- legacy bug: cmd=doc displays an error icon
- issue #3
Dev New:
- Added build files for GNU autotools; both GTK2 and GTK3 builds.
- INSTALL and AUTHORS files.
Dev fixed:
- GTK3 builds again (it broke many versions ago).

[musher0]

Hi step.

Sorry for being late discovering your thread.

Good work!

A few questions if I may:

-- How does your take on gtkmenu compare with / differ from aragon's at:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 20&t=84166
aside from including vovchik's cairo capacity for variable fonts and such?

-- Why is a ready-made parsed menu file replacing jwm's menu NOT
included? I ask because as it is, your gtkmenuplus is just a skeleton...
IMO, i do not see the point -- sorry for being so frank -- in having a menu
"motor" with no parsed menu. If the user wants a one-column listing of
available apps, like in your

Code: Select all

gtkmenuplus launchersub=/usr/share/applications

example, (s)he might as well install and run dwmenu?

-- Would you consider somehow integrating mikesLr's XML work
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 426#961426
on the xfce menu as a parsing tool? Here's why:
One can use aragon's menu creator part of his spm3 for parsing the menu
in sub-categories if one
-- downloads his work (obvious, sorry!)
-- types

Code: Select all

spm3 -c

(and waits a couple of seconds) and then
-- types

gtkmenuplus /tmp/spm3rc

One will get a menu somewhat like in the attached screen cap.

Except aragon's spm3 is 6 years old and misses a few apps, IMO because
new Puppies may have a few "Categories=" in their *.desktop files which
did not exist 5 years ago?

Which is why I am asking about integration of mikesLr's recent work,
which covers 300 plus categories, including PuppyLinux' headache-
inducing "X"-categories. (These "X"-categories may save the user a
few headaches, but not to the devs!)

(Forum member mikesLr has an additional comment about menus here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... st#1004801)

I hope that the above will be perceived as a constructive contribution.

BFN.

[step]

Hi step.

Sorry for being late discovering your thread.

Good work!

Thank you.

-- How does your take on gtkmenu compare with / differ from aragon's at:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 20&t=84166
aside from including vovchik's cairo capacity for variable fonts and such?

I don't know, sorry. I noticed aragon's thread maybe a year ago, when someone revived it with a post. I was planning to, but never did find the time, to play with that menu and find the differences.

vovchik's cairo capacity applies to that menu only. This menu has it's own cairo capacity, and I don't know how the two differ in detail. With this menu you can style font size, bold/italics, and fg and bg color for each menu item individually or for a given menu level or globally for the whole menu.

-- Why is a ready-made parsed menu file replacing jwm's menu NOT
included?

Because I don't use jwm and I'm not interested. I use openbox.

I ask because as it is, your gtkmenuplus is just a skeleton...

Indeed, the gtkmenu packages do not include fully worked out, useful examples of anything. They include the documentation necessary to learn creating new menus. Several complete examples are given at the links listed in the first post.

IMO, i do not see the point -- sorry for being so frank -- in having a menu
"motor" with no parsed menu. If the user wants a one-column listing of
available apps, like in your

Code: Select all

gtkmenuplus launchersub=/usr/share/applications

example, (s)he might as well install and run dwmenu?

Ok.

-- Would you consider somehow integrating mikesLr's XML work
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 426#961426
on the xfce menu as a parsing tool? Here's why:
One can use aragon's menu creator part of his spm3 for parsing the menu
in sub-categories if one
-- downloads his work (obvious, sorry!)
-- types

Code: Select all

spm3 -c

(and waits a couple of seconds) and then
-- types

gtkmenuplus /tmp/spm3rc

One will get a menu somewhat like in the attached screen cap.

Except aragon's spm3 is 6 years old and misses a few apps, IMO because
new Puppies may have a few "Categories=" in their *.desktop files which
did not exist 5 years ago?

Which is why I am asking about integration of mikesLr's recent work,
which covers 300 plus categories, including PuppyLinux' headache-
inducing "X"-categories. (These "X"-categories may save the user a
few headaches, but not to the devs!)

(Forum member mikesLr has an additional comment about menus here:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... st#1004801)

Short answer no sorry because I don't use xfce. But let me add some hopefully helpful comments. The commands you listed above look like:

Code: Select all

# spm3 -c
# gtkmenuplus /tmp/spm3rc

My fork is only about gtkmenuplus, which isn't forked from aragon's but from another ancestor lineage. My fork doesn't include spm3, which I guess is aragon's own device. You can try replacing aragon's gtkmenuplus with mine and see what happens although I suspect you won't notice any improvement to the issue you reported because I guess it's spm3 that needs some new magic in it -- likely because it's six years old, as you said.

I hope that the above will be perceived as a constructive contribution.

BFN.

Yes! Thank you for your feedback.

[step]

Release 1.1.9 - 14-Nov-2018

Recommended upgrade.
Downloads and change log in the first post.

[step]

Release 1.1.10 - 28-Nov-2019

Recommended upgrade.
Downloads and change log in the first post.

[step]

# Tutorial - Personalized typing macros with gtkmenuplus

## Overview

In this tutorial you will learn how to create, use and update your own menu of typing macros.
A typing macro is a combination of keypresses that can be repeated at will by selecting its label in a menu.
Gtkdialog draws the menu and executes the macro via one of the supported tools.
You invoke the menu from the command line or an icon or, preferably, from a system hotkey.
You create the menu entries using the simple template attached to this tutorial.
When the macro is executed its text content is inserted at the text cursor position in the active window.

## Prerequisites - What you will need

* GTK+ 2 (*)
* Gtkmenuplus[:1] for your distribution
* xdotool[:2]
* Optional: some way to assign a global hotkey to invoke the menu.

(*) For GTK+ 3 you can download gtkmenuplus source files and compile with GTK+ 3 as a dependency.

You need to install gtkmenuplus and xdotool in your system, and confirm they work correctly.

For Fatdog64 users
Gtkmenuplus is already included in the base system.
Xdotool can be installed from Gslapt Package Manager.
Optional: Sven Multimedia Keyboard daemon runs in the icon tray and provides global hotkey assignment. Instructions for Sven are given at the end of this tutorial.

For Puppy Linux users
Gtkmenuplus pets are attached to the first post in this thread.
Look for xdotool in your package manager.
Optional: There are many ways to assign a global hotkey but I can't be specific. Feel free to add your instructions for your favorite method to this thread.

For The Dogs users
I'm not sure if fredx181 has gtkmenuplus in his repos. If not, you should be able to extract the ".txz" archive attached to the first post under "/". You only need the "usr" folder, leave "install" out.
Xdotool should be in the repo, if not already in the base *Dog system.
Optional: I don't know much about defining global hotkeys in The Dogs. One way is through the Openbox configuration file.

## The template file

The attached template is a gtkmenuplus definition file with string ".tar.gz" appended to befriend the forum software.
Download the template file, save it to a directory somewhere in your $PATH, rename it to remove the trailing ".tar.gz", and make it executable.
You will edit this file to add your own typing macros.

As is the template includes just one macro named "edit this menu".

## First run

Start the template file, either by clicking its icon in the file manager or by typing its name in a terminal window or by pressing its associated hotkey (if you did associate a hotkey to the menu).

Select "edit this menu": your default editor (defaulttexteditor) will open the template file. Write your changes, save the file, quit the editor.

## All runs

When you need to add a new text item or modify an existing one follow the steps listed for the first run.

When you need to use a text item, start the template file with the text cursor positioned in the active window where the text should appear, and select the item label. If you change your mind, press the Escape key or click anywhere outside the menu to dismiss it.
Note that a global hotkey is the only practical way to start the template file to target a graphical window, such as Geany's.

## What items can be added

Essentially, for each text item you need to write "item=" (no quotes) followed by the item label, and "cmd=" followed by either "$TYPE" (no quotes) and the text to be typed or a command that outputs such text. See the examples below. Optionally, you can add a tooltip, format the menu with larger fonts, colors, icons, predefine variables, conditionals, and so on -- all of which is beyond the scope of this tutorial but you can read the fine manual[:3].

If an item label includes an underscore, the character following the underscore can be pressed to quickly select that label. If no other item could be selected by that same letter the selection will also be executed immediately.

### Examples

Item= and cmd= are required. $TYPE invokes xdotool.

Your e-mail address

Code: Select all

item=me@example.com
cmd=$TYPE me@example.com

Quoting

Code: Select all

item=spaces and quotes
cmd=$TYPE "Is the last word in \"quotes\"?"

Submenu

Code: Select all

submenu=My submenu

item=One
cmd=$TYPE One

item=Two
cmd=$TYPE Two

endsubmenu

Divider

Code: Select all

separator

Current date formatted as YYYYMMDD

$DATETIME expands to, e.g., "20200418 235959".

Code: Select all

item=yyyymmdd
cmd=sh -c 'set -- $DATETIME; $TYPE "${1//[-:]}"'
tooltip=$DATETIME

Current time formatted as HHMMSS

Code: Select all

item=hhmmss
cmd=sh -c 'set -- $DATETIME; $TYPE "${2//[-:]}"'
tooltip=$DATETIME

Press enter

$PRESS_ENTER types the Return (Enter) key.

Target a terminal window to see the immediate execution of the echo command.
This works in rox filer's command prompt, too.

Code: Select all

item=hello world
cmd=sh -c "$TYPE echo 'hello world' && $PRESS_ENTER"

## Troubleshooting

Invalid gtkmenuplus item syntax aside (user error), each keyboard is a little bit different from all others, especially as regards key modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, etc.) and key timing. Xdotool allows modifying the timing between keypresses (default 12 ms) with the "--delay <milliseconds>" option. To apply a custom timing modify the definition of $TYPE near the top of the template file.

## Links

[:1] gtkmenuplus
* https://github.com/step-/gtkmenuplus
* http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=107982

[:2] xdotool
* http://www.semicomplete.com/projects/xdotool/
* https://github.com/jordansissel/xdotool/

[:3] gtkmenuplus configuration directives
* https://github.com/step-/gtkmenuplus/bl ... _format.md

## Hotkey with Sven Multimedia Keyboard Daemon (Fatdog64 Linux)

Since I use Sven I'm going to describe how to associate a global hotkey for the template file with Sven.

These instructions assume that key Windows+q isn't already assigned as a hotkey.
If it is assigned, you need to disable the assignment in Sven's configuration before re-assigning it.

* Right-click the keyboard icon -- located in the desktop panel icon tray --to open Sven's menu, and select Preferences.
* Click Keyboard > New > Description and type "Typing macros Win+q" without quotes.
* Click inside input field Key Code with your mouse, then press keys "Windows" and "q" together, don't press other keys.
* Click inside input field Text Display with your mouse, then type "Win+Q typing macros".
* Click the Program radio button, and type: /<path-where-you-put>/keyboard-macros.gtkmenuplus
(Change path "<path-where-you-put>/" according to the actual location of keyboard-macros.gtkmenuplus).
* Click OK and close Sven.

Press Win+q to test the global hotkey.