---
name: "Prima::Lists"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libprima-perl"
version: "1.28-1.3+b3"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Prima::Lists"
---

# Prima::Lists(3)

user-selectable item list widgets

## NAME

Prima::Lists - user-selectable item list widgets

## DESCRIPTION

The module provides classes for several abstraction layers of item representation. The hierarchy of classes is as follows:

```
        AbstractListViewer
                AbstractListBox
                ListViewer
                        ProtectedListBox
                        ListBox
```

The root class, `"Prima::AbstractListViewer"`, provides common interface, while by itself it is not directly usable. The main differences between classes are centered around the way the item list is stored. The simplest organization of a text-only item list, provided by `"Prima::ListBox"`, stores an array of text scalars in a widget. More elaborated storage and representation types are not realized, and the programmer is urged to use the more abstract classes to derive own mechanisms.  For example, for a list of items that contain text strings and icons see "Prima::DirectoryListBox" in Prima::FileDialog. To organize an item storage, different from `"Prima::ListBox"`, it is usually enough to overload either the `"Stringify"`, `"MeasureItem"`,  and `"DrawItem"` events, or their method counterparts: `"get_item_text"`, `"get_item_width"`, and `"draw_items"`.

## Prima::AbstractListViewer

`"Prima::AbstractListViewer"` is a descendant of `"Prima::GroupScroller"`, and some properties are not described here. See "Prima::GroupScroller" in Prima::IntUtils.

The class provides interface to generic list browsing functionality, plus functionality for text-oriented lists. The class is not usable directly.

### Properties

- autoHeight BOOLEAN

  If 1, the item height is changed automatically when the widget font is changed; this is useful for text items.  If 0, item height is not changed; this is useful for non-text items.

  Default value: 1

- count INTEGER

  An integer property, destined to reflect number of items in the list. Since it is tied to the item storage organization, and hence, to possibility of changing the number of items, this property is often declared as read-only in descendants of `"Prima::AbstractListViewer"`.

- dragable BOOLEAN

  If 1, allows the items to be dragged interactively by pressing control key together with left mouse button. If 0, item dragging is disabled.

  Default value: 1

- drawGrid BOOLEAN

  If 1, vertical grid lines between columns are drawn with `"gridColor"`. Actual only in multi-column mode.

  Default value: 1

- extendedSelect BOOLEAN

  Regards the way the user selects multiple items and is only actual when `"multiSelect"` is 1. If 0, the user must click each item in order to mark as selected. If 1, the user can drag mouse or use `"Shift"` key plus arrow keys to perform range selection; the `"Control"` key can be used to select individual items.

  Default value: 0

- focusedItem INDEX

  Selects the focused item index. If -1, no item is focused. It is mostly a run-time property, however, it can be set during the widget creation stage given that the item list is  accessible on this stage as well.

  Default value: -1

- gridColor COLOR

  Color, used for drawing vertical divider lines for multi-column  list widgets. The list classes support also the indirect way of setting the grid color, as well as widget does, via the `"colorIndex"` property. To achieve this, `"ci::Grid"` constant is declared ( for more detail see "colorIndex" in Prima::Widget ).

  Default value: `"cl::Black"`.

- integralHeight BOOLEAN

  If 1, only the items that fit vertically in the widget interiors are drawn. If 0, the items that are partially visible are drawn also.

  Default value: 0

- integralWidth BOOLEAN

  If 1, only the items that fit horizontally in the widget interiors are drawn. If 0, the items that are partially visible are drawn also. Actual only in multi-column mode.

  Default value: 0

- itemHeight INTEGER

  Selects the height of the items in pixels. Since the list classes do  not support items with different dimensions, changes to this property  affect all items.

  Default value: default font height

- itemWidth INTEGER

  Selects the width of the items in pixels. Since the list classes do  not support items with different dimensions, changes to this property  affect all items.

  Default value: default widget width

- multiSelect BOOLEAN

  If 0, the user can only select one item, and it is reported by the `"focusedItem"` property. If 1, the user can select more than one item.  In this case, `"focusedItem"`'th item is not necessarily selected. To access selected item list, use `"selectedItems"` property.

  Default value: 0

- multiColumn BOOLEAN

  If 0, the items are arrayed vertically in one column, and the main scroll bar  is vertical. If 1, the items are arrayed in several columns, `"itemWidth"` pixels wide each. In this case, the main scroll bar is horizontal.

- offset INTEGER

  Horizontal offset of an item list in pixels.

- topItem INTEGER

  Selects the first item drawn.

- selectedCount INTEGER

  A read-only property. Returns number of selected items.

- selectedItems ARRAY

  ARRAY is an array of integer indices of selected items.

- vertical BOOLEAN

  Sets seneral direction of items in multi-column mode. If 1, items increase down-to-right. Otherwise, right-to-down.

  Doesn't have any effect in single-column mode. Default value: 1.

### Methods

- add\_selection ARRAY, FLAG

  Sets item indices from ARRAY in selected or deselected state, depending on FLAG value, correspondingly 1 or 0.

  Only for multi-select mode.

- deselect\_all

  Removes selection from all items.

  Only for multi-select mode.

- draw\_items CANVAS, ITEM\_DRAW\_DATA

  Called from within `"Paint"` notification to draw items. The default behavior is to call `"DrawItem"` notification for every item in ITEM\_DRAW\_DATA array. ITEM\_DRAW\_DATA is an array or arrays, where each array consists of parameters, passed to `"DrawItem"` notification.

  This method is overridden in some descendant classes, to increase the speed of drawing routine. For example, `"std_draw_text_items"` is the optimized routine for drawing unified text-based items. It is used in `"Prima::ListBox"` class.

  See DrawItem for parameters description.

- draw\_text\_items CANVAS, FIRST, LAST, STEP, X, Y, OFFSET, CLIP\_RECT

  Called by `"std_draw_text_items"` to draw sequence of text items with  indices from FIRST to LAST, by STEP, on CANVAS, starting at point X, Y, and incrementing the vertical position with OFFSET. CLIP\_RECT is a reference to array of four integers with inclusive-inclusive coordinates of the active  clipping rectangle.

- get\_item\_text INDEX

  Returns text string assigned to INDEXth item. Since the class does not assume the item storage organization, the text is queried via `"Stringify"` notification.

- get\_item\_width INDEX

  Returns width in pixels of INDEXth item. Since the class does not assume the item storage organization, the value is queried via `"MeasureItem"` notification.

- is\_selected INDEX

  Returns 1 if INDEXth item is selected, 0 if it is not.

- item2rect INDEX, \[ WIDTH, HEIGHT \]

  Calculates and returns four integers with rectangle coordinates of INDEXth item within the widget. WIDTH and HEIGHT are optional parameters with pre-fetched dimension of the widget; if not set, the dimensions are queried by calling `"size"` property. If set, however, the `"size"` property is not called, thus some speed-up can be achieved.

- point2item X, Y

  Returns the index of an item that contains point (X,Y). If the point  belongs to the item outside the widget's interior, returns the index of the first item outside the widget's interior in the direction of the point.

- redraw\_items INDICES

  Redraws all items in INDICES array.

- select\_all

  Selects all items.

  Only for multi-select mode.

- set\_item\_selected INDEX, FLAG

  Sets selection flag of INDEXth item. If FLAG is 1, the item is selected. If 0, it is deselected.

  Only for multi-select mode.

- select\_item INDEX

  Selects INDEXth item.

  Only for multi-select mode.

- std\_draw\_text\_items CANVAS, ITEM\_DRAW\_DATA

  An optimized method, draws unified text-based items. It is fully compatible to `"draw_items"` interface, and is used in `"Prima::ListBox"` class.

  The optimization is derived from the assumption that items maintain common background and foreground colors, that differ  in selected and non-selected states only. The routine groups drawing requests for selected and non-selected items, and draws items with reduced number of calls to `"color"` property. While the background is drawn by the routine itself, the foreground ( usually text ) is delegated to the `"draw_text_items"` method, so the text positioning and eventual decorations would not require full rewrite of code.

  ITEM\_DRAW\_DATA is an array of arrays of scalars, where each array contains parameters of `"DrawItem"` notification. See DrawItem for parameters description.

- toggle\_item INDEX

  Toggles selection of INDEXth item.

  Only for multi-select mode.

- unselect\_item INDEX

  Deselects INDEXth item.

  Only for multi-select mode.

### Events

- Click

  Called when the user presses return key or double-clicks on an item. The index of the item is stored in `"focusedItem"`.

- DragItem OLD\_INDEX, NEW\_INDEX

  Called when the user finishes the drag of an item from OLD\_INDEX to NEW\_INDEX position. The default action rearranges the item list in accord with the dragging action.

- DrawItem CANVAS, INDEX, X1, Y1, X2, Y2, SELECTED, FOCUSED

  Called when an INDEXth item is to be drawn on CANVAS.  X1, Y1, X2, Y2 designate the item rectangle in widget coordinates, where the item is to be drawn. SELECTED and FOCUSED are boolean flags, if the item must be drawn correspondingly in selected and focused states.

- MeasureItem INDEX, REF

  Puts width in pixels of INDEXth item into REF scalar reference. This notification must be called  from within `"begin_paint_info/end_paint_info"` block.

- SelectItem INDEX, FLAG

  Called when the item changed its selection state. INDEX is the index of the item, FLAG is its new selection state: 1 if it is selected, 0 if it is not.

- Stringify INDEX, TEXT\_REF

  Puts text string, assigned to INDEXth item into TEXT\_REF scalar reference.

## Prima::AbstractListBox

Exactly the same as its ascendant, `"Prima::AbstractListViewer"`, except that it does not propagate `"DrawItem"` message,  assuming that the items must be drawn as text.

## Prima::ListViewer

The class implements items storage mechanism, but leaves the items format to the programmer. The items are accessible via `"items"` property and several other helper routines.

The class also defines the user navigation, by accepting character keyboard input and jumping to the items that have text assigned with the first letter that match the input.

`"Prima::ListViewer"` is derived from `"Prima::AbstractListViewer"`.

### Properties

- autoWidth BOOLEAN

  Selects if the gross item width must be recalculated automatically  when either the font changes or item list is changed.

  Default value: 1

- count INTEGER

  A read-only property; returns number of items.

- items ARRAY

  Accesses the storage array of items. The format of items is not defined, it is merely treated as one scalar per index.

### Methods

- add\_items ITEMS

  Appends array of ITEMS to the end of the list.

- calibrate

  Recalculates all item widths and adjusts `"itemWidth"` if `"autoWidth"` is set.

- delete\_items INDICES

  Deletes items from the list. INDICES can be either an array, or a reference to an array of item indices.

- get\_item\_width INDEX

  Returns width in pixels of INDEXth item from internal cache.

- get\_items INDICES

  Returns array of items. INDICES can be either an array, or a reference to an array of item indices.  Depending on the caller context, the results are different: in array context the item list is returned; in scalar - only the first item from the list. The semantic of the last call is naturally usable only for single item retrieval.

- insert\_items OFFSET, ITEMS

  Inserts array of items at OFFSET index in the list.  Offset must be a valid index; to insert items at the end of the list use `"add_items"` method.

  ITEMS can be either an array, or a reference to an array of items.

- replace\_items OFFSET, ITEMS

  Replaces existing items at OFFSET index in the list.  Offset must be a valid index.

  ITEMS can be either an array, or a reference to an array of items.

## Prima::ProtectedListBox

A semi-demonstrational class, derived from `"Prima::ListViewer"`, that applies certain protection for every item drawing session. Assuming that several item drawing routines can be assembled in one widget, `"Prima::ProtectedListBox"` provides a safety layer between these, so, for example, one drawing routine that selects a font or a color and does not care to restore the old value back,  does not affect the outlook of the other items.

This functionality is implementing by overloading `"draw_items"`  method and also all graphic properties.

## Prima::ListBox

Descendant of `"Prima::ListViewer"`, declares format of items  as a single text string. Incorporating all of functionality of its predecessors, provides a standard listbox widget.

### Synopsis

```
        my $lb = Prima::ListBox-> create(
                items       => [qw(First Second Third)],
                focusedItem => 2,
                onClick     => sub {
                        print $_[0]-> get_items( $_[0]-> focusedItem), " is selected\n";
                }
        );
```

### Methods

- get\_item\_text INDEX

  Returns text string assigned to INDEXth item. Since the item storage organization is implemented, does so without calling `"Stringify"` notification.

## AUTHOR

Dmitry Karasik, \<dmitry@karasik.eu.org\>.

## SEE ALSO

Prima, Prima::Widget, Prima::ComboBox, Prima::FileDialog, *examples/editor.pl*
