---
name: "Tk::804delta"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-tk"
version: "804.036-9"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Tk::804delta"
---

# Tk::804delta(3pm)

what is new for perl/Tk 804

## NAME

Tk::804delta - what is new for perl/Tk 804

## DESCRIPTION

This document describes differences between the Tk800 series and the Tk804 series.

## Incompatible Changes

In Tk804.028, there are some additional incompatible changes:

Return values of some **Tk::Wm** methods (e.g. **aspect**, **wmGrid**, **iconposition**, **resizable** ...) were changed from returning tclish lists (e.g. "1 2 3 4") to perlish lists (1,2,3,4).

**Tk::Wm::wmTracing** needs argument for setting on/off, without argument just return the current value.

All Tk804 releases have the following incompatible changes:

Tk804 will only work with perl 5.8.0 and above. For older perl versions look for Tk800.025.

**curselection** of **Tk::Listbox** now returns an array reference in scalar context. This means you have to write

```
        my(@selected) = $listbox->curselection
```

or

```
        my(@selected) = @{ $listbox->curselection }
```

now.

The **fontActual** method now returns the pixel value instead of the point value for **-size**. Pixel values are expressed as negative numbers.

Some enhancements from the "dash" patches are lost for now (i.e. **-tile**, **-troughtile** ...).

The **-state** option is not available anymore for **Tk::Text** tags. Use **-elide** instead.

## Enhancements

Tk804 is Unicode-aware.

It is possible to build Tk with Xft support on X11. This is strongly recommened if you are planning to make use of Unicode rendering capabilities of Tk. It also gives anti-aliased fonts for regular text (if you have TrueType or Type1 fonts and they are in your fontconfig config file).

The new method **chooseDirectory** is available as a standard directory selector.

**Tk::PNG** and **Tk::JPEG** are bundled now with the perl/Tk distribution, providing support for the image formats **png** and **jpeg**.

Improvements to **Tk::Listbox**: new option **-activestyle**, new methods **itemconfigure** and **itemcget**, new virtual event **\<\<ListboxSelect\>\>**.

More tests.

## New Widgets

- Tk::Labelframe

  An alternative to **Tk::LabFrame**.

- Tk::Panedwindow

  An alternative to **Tk::Adjuster**.

- Tk::Spinbox

  An alternative to the CPAN module **Tk::NumEntry**.

## Selected Bug Fixes

## Changed Internals

## Platform Specific Problems

## Future Directions

## Reporting Bugs

If you find what you think is a bug, you might check the articles recently posted to the comp.lang.perl.tk newsgroup.

If you believe you have an unreported bug, please send a mail to \<ptk@lists.stanford.edu\> and/or \<nick@ing-simmons.net\>.  Be sure to trim your bug down to a tiny but sufficient test case.

## SEE ALSO

Tk, `"Changes"` file in the Perl/Tk distribution.