text protocol
wl_text_input interface version 1
An object used for text input. Adds support for text input and input methods to applications. A text-input object is created from a wl_text_input_manager and corresponds typically to a text entry in an application. Requests are used to activate/deactivate the text-input object and set state information like surrounding and selected text or the content type. The information about entered text is sent to the text-input object via the pre-edit and commit events. Using this interface removes the need for applications to directly process hardware key events and compose text out of them. Text is generally UTF-8 encoded, indices and lengths are in bytes. Serials are used to synchronize the state between the text input and an input method. New serials are sent by the text input in the commit_state request and are used by the input method to indicate the known text input state in events like preedit_string, commit_string, and keysym. The text input can then ignore events from the input method which are based on an outdated state (for example after a reset).
Requests
activate since version 0
activate(seat object[wl_seat], surface object[wl_surface])Requests the text-input object to be activated (typically when the text entry gets focus). The seat argument is a wl_seat which maintains the focus for this activation. The surface argument is a wl_surface assigned to the text-input object and tracked for focus lost. The enter event is emitted on successful activation.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| seat | object[wl_seat] | |
| surface | object[wl_surface] |
deactivate since version 0
deactivate(seat object[wl_seat])Requests the text-input object to be deactivated (typically when the text entry lost focus). The seat argument is a wl_seat which was used for activation.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| seat | object[wl_seat] |
show_input_panel since version 0
show_input_panel()Requests input panels (virtual keyboard) to show.
hide_input_panel since version 0
hide_input_panel()Requests input panels (virtual keyboard) to hide.
reset since version 0
reset()Should be called by an editor widget when the input state should be reset, for example after the text was changed outside of the normal input method flow.
set_surrounding_text since version 0
set_surrounding_text(text string, cursor uint, anchor uint)Sets the plain surrounding text around the input position. Text is UTF-8 encoded. Cursor is the byte offset within the surrounding text. Anchor is the byte offset of the selection anchor within the surrounding text. If there is no selected text anchor is the same as cursor.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| text | string | |
| cursor | uint | |
| anchor | uint |
set_content_type since version 0
set_content_type(hint uint, purpose uint)Sets the content purpose and content hint. While the purpose is the basic purpose of an input field, the hint flags allow to modify some of the behavior. When no content type is explicitly set, a normal content purpose with default hints (auto completion, auto correction, auto capitalization) should be assumed.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| hint | uint | |
| purpose | uint |
set_cursor_rectangle since version 0
set_cursor_rectangle(x int, y int, width int, height int)Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| x | int | |
| y | int | |
| width | int | |
| height | int |
set_preferred_language since version 0
set_preferred_language(language string)Sets a specific language. This allows for example a virtual keyboard to show a language specific layout. The "language" argument is a RFC-3066 format language tag. It could be used for example in a word processor to indicate language of currently edited document or in an instant message application which tracks languages of contacts.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| language | string |
commit_state since version 0
commit_state(serial uint)Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| serial | uint | used to identify the known state |
invoke_action since version 0
invoke_action(button uint, index uint)Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| button | uint | |
| index | uint |
Events
enter since version 0
enter(surface object[wl_surface])Notify the text-input object when it received focus. Typically in response to an activate request.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| surface | object[wl_surface] |
leave since version 0
leave()Notify the text-input object when it lost focus. Either in response to a deactivate request or when the assigned surface lost focus or was destroyed.
modifiers_map since version 0
modifiers_map(map array)Transfer an array of 0-terminated modifiers names. The position in the array is the index of the modifier as used in the modifiers bitmask in the keysym event.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| map | array |
input_panel_state since version 0
input_panel_state(state uint)Notify when the visibility state of the input panel changed.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| state | uint |
preedit_string since version 0
preedit_string(serial uint, text string, commit string)Notify when a new composing text (pre-edit) should be set around the current cursor position. Any previously set composing text should be removed. The commit text can be used to replace the preedit text on reset (for example on unfocus). The text input should also handle all preedit_style and preedit_cursor events occurring directly before preedit_string.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| serial | uint | serial of the latest known text input state |
| text | string | |
| commit | string |
preedit_styling since version 0
preedit_styling(index uint, length uint, style uint)Sets styling information on composing text. The style is applied for length bytes from index relative to the beginning of the composing text (as byte offset). Multiple styles can be applied to a composing text by sending multiple preedit_styling events. This event is handled as part of a following preedit_string event.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| index | uint | |
| length | uint | |
| style | uint |
preedit_cursor since version 0
preedit_cursor(index int)Sets the cursor position inside the composing text (as byte offset) relative to the start of the composing text. When index is a negative number no cursor is shown. This event is handled as part of a following preedit_string event.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| index | int |
commit_string since version 0
commit_string(serial uint, text string)Notify when text should be inserted into the editor widget. The text to commit could be either just a single character after a key press or the result of some composing (pre-edit). It could be also an empty text when some text should be removed (see delete_surrounding_text) or when the input cursor should be moved (see cursor_position). Any previously set composing text should be removed.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| serial | uint | serial of the latest known text input state |
| text | string |
cursor_position since version 0
cursor_position(index int, anchor int)Notify when the cursor or anchor position should be modified. This event should be handled as part of a following commit_string event.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| index | int | |
| anchor | int |
delete_surrounding_text since version 0
delete_surrounding_text(index int, length uint)Notify when the text around the current cursor position should be deleted. Index is relative to the current cursor (in bytes). Length is the length of deleted text (in bytes). This event should be handled as part of a following commit_string event.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| index | int | |
| length | uint |
keysym since version 0
keysym(serial uint, time uint, sym uint, state uint, modifiers uint)Notify when a key event was sent. Key events should not be used for normal text input operations, which should be done with commit_string, delete_surrounding_text, etc. The key event follows the wl_keyboard key event convention. Sym is a XKB keysym, state a wl_keyboard key_state. Modifiers are a mask for effective modifiers (where the modifier indices are set by the modifiers_map event)
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| serial | uint | serial of the latest known text input state |
| time | uint | |
| sym | uint | |
| state | uint | |
| modifiers | uint |
language since version 0
language(serial uint, language string)Sets the language of the input text. The "language" argument is a RFC-3066 format language tag.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| serial | uint | serial of the latest known text input state |
| language | string |
text_direction since version 0
text_direction(serial uint, direction uint)Sets the text direction of input text. It is mainly needed for showing input cursor on correct side of the editor when there is no input yet done and making sure neutral direction text is laid out properly.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| serial | uint | serial of the latest known text input state |
| direction | uint |
Enums
content_hint since version 0
Content hint is a bitmask to allow to modify the behavior of the text input.
enum content_hint {
none = 0x0,
default = 0x7,
password = 0xc0,
auto_completion = 0x1,
auto_correction = 0x2,
auto_capitalization = 0x4,
lowercase = 0x8,
uppercase = 0x10,
titlecase = 0x20,
hidden_text = 0x40,
sensitive_data = 0x80,
latin = 0x100,
multiline = 0x200,
}Entries
| Name | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| none | 0x0 | no special behaviour |
| default | 0x7 | auto completion, correction and capitalization |
| password | 0xc0 | hidden and sensitive text |
| auto_completion | 0x1 | suggest word completions |
| auto_correction | 0x2 | suggest word corrections |
| auto_capitalization | 0x4 | switch to uppercase letters at the start of a sentence |
| lowercase | 0x8 | prefer lowercase letters |
| uppercase | 0x10 | prefer uppercase letters |
| titlecase | 0x20 | prefer casing for titles and headings (can be language dependent) |
| hidden_text | 0x40 | characters should be hidden |
| sensitive_data | 0x80 | typed text should not be stored |
| latin | 0x100 | just latin characters should be entered |
| multiline | 0x200 | the text input is multiline |
content_purpose since version 0
The content purpose allows to specify the primary purpose of a text input. This allows an input method to show special purpose input panels with extra characters or to disallow some characters.
enum content_purpose {
normal = 0,
alpha = 1,
digits = 2,
number = 3,
phone = 4,
url = 5,
email = 6,
name = 7,
password = 8,
date = 9,
time = 10,
datetime = 11,
terminal = 12,
}Entries
| Name | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| normal | 0 | default input, allowing all characters |
| alpha | 1 | allow only alphabetic characters |
| digits | 2 | allow only digits |
| number | 3 | input a number (including decimal separator and sign) |
| phone | 4 | input a phone number |
| url | 5 | input an URL |
| 6 | input an email address | |
| name | 7 | input a name of a person |
| password | 8 | input a password (combine with password or sensitive_data hint) |
| date | 9 | input a date |
| time | 10 | input a time |
| datetime | 11 | input a date and time |
| terminal | 12 | input for a terminal |
preedit_style since version 0
enum preedit_style {
default = 0,
none = 1,
active = 2,
inactive = 3,
highlight = 4,
underline = 5,
selection = 6,
incorrect = 7,
}Entries
| Name | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| default | 0 | default style for composing text |
| none | 1 | style should be the same as in non-composing text |
| active | 2 | |
| inactive | 3 | |
| highlight | 4 | |
| underline | 5 | |
| selection | 6 | |
| incorrect | 7 |
text_direction since version 0
enum text_direction {
auto = 0,
ltr = 1,
rtl = 2,
}Entries
| Name | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| auto | 0 | automatic text direction based on text and language |
| ltr | 1 | left-to-right |
| rtl | 2 | right-to-left |
wl_text_input_manager interface version 1
A factory for text-input objects. This object is a global singleton.
Requests
create_text_input since version 0
create_text_input(id new_id[wl_text_input])Creates a new text-input object.
Arguments
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | new_id[wl_text_input] |
SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2012, 2013 Intel Corporation SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT-CMU