Tcl/Tk: A Developer's Guide (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Software Engineering and Programming)

By the time you’ve finished reading this book, you’ll have a good idea of what the strengths and weaknesses of Tcl/Tk are, how you can use the Tcl/Tk libraries and interpreters, and what constitutes an effective strategy for using Tcl/Tk.If you are experienced with computer programming languages, you will be able to skim through the first few chapters getting a feel for how Tcl/Tk works, and then go on to the chapters on techniques and extensions. If you are less experienced, you should read the first chapters fairly carefully to be sure you understand the Tcl/Tk syntax. Tcl has some features that may not be obvious.I’ll discuss how to best accomplish certain tasks with Tcl/Tk: how to use the list and associative array data structures effectively, how to build modular code using Tcl’s software engineering features, and what kinds of programming constructs will help you get your project from prototype to product with the minimal amount of rewriting.Finally, there are plenty of code snippets, examples, and bits of packages to help you see how Tcl/Tk can be used. These examples are chosen to provide you with some boilerplate procedures that you can add to your programs right now, to help you get from scribbles on paper to a working program.Contents1: Tcl/Tk Features2: The Mechanics of Using the Tcl and Tk Interpreters3: Introduction to the Tcl Language4: File System, Disk I/O and Sockets5: Using Strings and Lists6: Basic list, array and dict7: Advanced List, array and dict8: Procedure Techniques9: Namespaces10: Basic TclOO11: Advanced TclOO12: Packages and modules13: Introduction to Tk Graphics14: Overview of the canvas Widget15: The text widget and htmllib16: Themed Widgets17: Tk Megawidgets18: Writing a Tcl Extension19: Extensions and Packages20: Programming Tools21: Debugging and Optimization techniques22: Tips and Techniques Foreword Preface 1 - Tcl/Tk Features 1.1 - Tcl Overview 1.2 - Tcl as a Glue Language 1.3 - Tcl as a General Purpose Interpreter 1.4 - Tcl as an Extensible Interpreter 1.5 - Tcl as an Embeddable Interpreter 1.6 - Tcl as a Rapid Development Tool 1.7 - GUI-Based Programming 1.8 - Shipping Products 1.9 - Bottom Line 1.10 - Problems 2 - The Mechanics of Using the Tcl and Tk Interpreters 2.1 - The tclsh and wish Interpreters 2.2 - Using tclsh/wish Interactively 2.3 - Evaluating Tcl Script Files 2.4 - Bottom Line 2.5 - Problems 3 - Introduction to the Tcl Language 3.1 - Overview of the Basics 3.2 - Command Evaluation and Substitutions 3.3 - Data Types 3.4 - Arithmetic and Boolean Operations 3.5 - Modularization 3.6 - Bottom Line 3.7 - Problems 4 - Navigating the File System, Basic I/O and Sockets 4.1 - Navigating the File System 4.2 - Properties of File System Items 4.3 - Removing Files 4.4 - Input/Output in Tcl 4.5 - Sockets 4.6 - Bottom Line 4.7 - Problems 5 - Using Strings and Lists 5.1 - Converting a String into a List 5.2 - Examining the List with a for Loop 5.3 - Using the foreach Command 5.4 - Using string match Instead of string first 5.5 - Using lsearch 5.6 - The regexp Command 5.7 - Creating a Procedure 5.8 - Making a Script 5.9 - Speed 5.10 - Bottom Line 5.11 - Problems 6 - Complex Data Structures with Lists, Arrays and Dicts 6.1 - Using the Tcl List 6.2 - Using the dict 6.3 - Using the Associative Array 6.4 - Trees in Tcl 6.5 - Tcl and SQL 6.6 - Performance 6.7 - Bottom Line 6.8 - Problems 7 - Procedure Techniques 7.1 - Arguments to Procedures 7.2 - Renaming or Deleting Commands 7.3 - Getting Information About Procedures 7.4 - Substitution and Evaluation of Strings 7.5 - Working with Global and Local Scopes 7.6 - Making a Tcl Object 7.7 - Bottom Line 7.8 - Problems 8 - Namespaces, Packages and Modules 8.1 - Namespaces and Scoping Rules 8.2 - Packages 8.3 - Tcl Modules 8.4 - Namespaces and Packages 8.5 - Hanoi with a Stack Namespace and Package 8.6 - Conventions and Caveats 8.7 - Bottom Line 8.8 - Problems 9 - Basic Object-Oriented Programming in Tcl 9.1 - Creating a TclOO Class and Object 9.2 - Bottom Line 9.3 - Problems 10 - Advanced Object-Oriented Programming in Tcl 10.1 - Modifying Classes and Objects 10.2 - Modifying Objects 10.3 - Examining Classes and Objects 10.4 - Examining Objects 10.5 - Using TclOO with Callbacks 10.6 - Adding New Functionality to TclOO 10.7 - Bottom Line 10.8 - Problems 11 - Introduction to Tk Graphics 11.1 - Creating a Widget 11.2 - Conventions 11.3 - Common Options 11.4 - Determining and Setting Options 11.5 - The Basic Widgets 11.6 - Introducing Widgets: label, button, entry 11.7 - Application Layout: Geometry Managers and Container Widgets 11.8 - Selection Widgets: radiobutton, checkbutton, menu, listbox 11.9 - Scrollbar 11.10 - The scale Widget 11.11 - New Windows 11.12 - Interacting with the Event Loop 11.13 - Scheduling the Future: after 11.14 - Bottom Line 11.15 - Problems 12 - Using the canvas Widget 12.1 - Overview of the canvas Widget 12.2 - Creating a canvas Widget 12.3 - Creating Displayable canvas Items 12.4 - More canvas Widget Subcommands 12.5 - The bind and focus Commands 12.6 - Creating a Widget 12.7 - A Help Balloon: Interacting with the Window Manager 12.8 - The image Object 12.9 - Bottom Line 12.10 - Problems 13 - The text Widget and htmllib 13.1 - Overview of the text Widget 13.2 - Creating a text Widget 13.3 - text Widget Subcommands 13.4 - HTML Display Package 13.5 - Bottom Line 13.6 - Problems 14 - Tk Megawidgets 14.1 - Standard Dialog Widgets 14.2 - Megawidget Building Philosophy 14.3 - Functionality that Makes Megawidgets Possible 14.4 - Building a Megawidget 14.5 - A Scrolling listbox Megawidget 14.6 - Namespaces and Tk Widgets 14.7 - Incorporating a Megawidget Into a Larger Megawidget 14.8 - Making a Modal Megawidget: the grab and tkwait Commands 14.9 - Automating Megawidget Construction 14.10 - Building Megawidgets with TclOO 14.11 - Bottom Line 14.12 - Problems 15 - Extending Tcl 15.1 - Functional View of a Tcl Extension 15.2 - Building an Extension 15.3 - An Example 15.4 - Complex Data 15.5 - Embedding the Tcl Interpreter 15.6 - Building Tcl and Tk From Sources 15.7 - Bottom Line 15.8 - Problems 16 - Applications with Multiple Environments 16.1 - Event Loop 16.2 - Threads 16.3 - Embedded Tcl interp and Threading 16.4 - Bottom Line 16.5 - Problems 17 - Extensions and Packages 17.1 - [incr Tcl] 17.2 - expect 17.3 - TclX 17.4 - tdbc 17.5 - Rivet 17.6 - BWidgets 17.7 - Graphics Extensions: img 17.8 - Bottom Line 18 - Programming Tools 18.1 - Code Formatter 18.2 - Code Checkers 18.3 - Debuggers 18.4 - Exercising and Regression Testing 18.5 - Packaging Tools 18.6 - Tcl Extension Generators 18.7 - Integrated Development Environments 18.8 - Bottom Line 19 - Tips and Techniques 19.1 - Debugging Techniques 19.2 - Tcl as a Glue Language: the exec Command 19.3 - Common Mistakes 19.4 - Coding Tips and Techniques 19.5 - Optimization 19.6 - Techniques for Improving Performance 19.7 - Bottom Line Index

Newly updated with over 150 pages of material on the latest Tcl extensions, Tcl/Tk: A Developer’s Guide is a unique practical tutorial for professional programmers and beginners alike. Starting with a clear picture of the basics, Tcl/Tk covers the variety of tools in this "Swiss army knife" of programming languages, giving you the ability to enhance your programs, extend your application's capabilities, and become a more effective programmer.

This updated edition covers all of the new features of version 8.6, including object-oriented programming and the creation of megawidgets, existing data structure implementations, themed widgets and virtual events. Extensive code snippets and online tutorials in various languages will give you a firm grasp on how to use the Tcl/Tk libraries and interpreters and, most importantly, on what constitutes an effective strategy for using Tcl/Tk.

• Includes the latest features of Tcl/Tk 8.6
• Covers Tcl development tools, popular extensions, and packages to allow developers to solve real-world problems with Tcl/Tk immediately
• Provides straightforward explanations for beginners and offers tips, style guidelines, and debugging techniques for advanced users
• Companion website includes Tcl/Tk tutorials, applications, distributions, and more tools

* ''The best computer programmers are astonishingly more productive than average. One reason is that they use good tools, and they use them well. Clif Flynt's Tcl/Tk: A Developer's Guide, Second Edition helps you improve your effectiveness as a developer in both of these ways. Tcl is a software language with a great return on investment—it achieves portable, powerful, economical results with great economy. Just a few lines of Tcl are enough to create applications that are both interesting and useful. Clif draws on his deep experience as a front-line developer to help you get the most out of Tcl. He writes clearly, and has organized his book with instructive examples that teach the essentials of Tcl. He covers the right material too: Tcl/Tk packs in not just such long-standing Tcl strengths such as its easy networking and graphical user interface, but also the latest breakthroughs with internationalization, widget upgrades, and StarPacks. Want to take your programming to the next level? Get Tcl/Tk: A Developer's Guide, Second Edition.'' — Cameron Laird is vice president of Phaseit, Inc. (http://phaseit.net), where he specializes in Rapid Enterprise Integration with Tcl and related tools. His frequent publications on information technology include the popular ''Regular Expressions'' column (http://regularexpressions.com). Newly updated with over 150 pages of material on the latest Tcl extensions, Tcl/Tk: A Developer's Guide is a unique practical tutorial for professional programmers and beginners alike. Starting with a clear picture of the basics, Tcl/Tk covers the variety of tools in this "Swiss army knife" of programming languages, giving you the ability to enhance your programs, extend your application's capabilities, and become a more effective programmer. This updated edition covers all of the new features of version 8.6, including object-oriented programming and the creation of megawidgets, existing data structure implementations, themed widgets and virtual events. Extensive code snippets and online tutorials in various languages will give you a firm grasp on how to use the Tcl/Tk libraries and interpreters and, most importantly, on what constitutes an effective strategy for using Tcl/Tk. Includes the latest features of Tcl/Tk 8.6 Covers Tcl development tools, popular extensions, and packages to allow developers to solve real-world problems with Tcl/Tk immediately Provides straightforward explanations for beginners and offers tips, style guidelines, and debugging techniques for advanced users Companion website includes Tcl/Tk tutorials, applications, distributions, and more tools Newly updated with over 150 pages of material on the latest Tcl extensions, Tcl/Tk: A Developer's Gu ide is a unique practical tutorial for professional programmers and beginners alike. Starting with a clear picture of the basics, Tcl/Tk covers the variety of tools in this "Swiss army knife" of programming languages, giving you the ability to enhance your programs, extend your application's capabilities, and become a more effective programmer. This updated edition covers all of the new features of version 8.6, including object-oriented programming and the creation of megawidgets, existing data structure implementations, themed widgets and virtual events. Extensive code snippets and online tutorials in various languages will give you a firm grasp on how to use the Tcl/Tk libraries and interpreters and, most importantly, on what constitutes an effective strategy for using Tcl/Tk. Includes the latest features of Tcl/Tk 8.6 Covers Tcl development tools, popular extensions, and packages to allow developers to solve real-world problems with Tcl/Tk immediately Provides straightforward explanations for beginners and offers tips, style guidelines, and debugging techniques for advanced users Machine generated contents note: Chapter 1: Tcl/Tk Features Chapter 2: The Mechanics of Using the Tcl and Tk Interpreters Chapter 3: Introduction to the Tcl Language Chapter 4: File System, Disk I/O and Sockets Chapter 5: Using Strings and Lists Chapter 6: Basic list, array and dict Chapter 7: Advanced List, array and dict Chapter 8: Procedure Techniques Chapter 9: Namespaces Chapter 10: Basic TclOO Chapter 11: Advanced TclOO Chapter 12: Packages and modules Chapter 13: Introduction to Tk Graphics Chapter 14: Overview of the canvas Widget Chapter 15: The text widget and htmllib Chapter 16: Themed Widgets Chapter 17: Tk Megawidgets Chapter 18: Writing a Tcl Extension Chapter 19: Extensions and Packages Chapter 20: Programming Tools Chapter 21: Debugging and Optimization techniques Chapter 22: Tips and Techniques . A guide that focuses on the Tcl extensions. It covers the variety of tools in this Swiss army knife of programming languages, giving you the ability to enhance your programs, extend your application's capabilities, and become a more effective programmer.