13

I found by chance it was possible to display a combo box with zenity (version tested: 2.32.1). See the following code:

#!/bin/bash
array=(a b c d e)
value=$(zenity --entry --title "Window title" --text "${array[@]}" --text "Insert your choice.")

The result is illustrated with the following 3 images:

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

I have two questions about that:

  1. Is there a documentation about this functionality? I didn't find anything in the zenity documentation.

  2. Why the first value of my array doesn't appear in the combo box? In the example above, my array is (a b c d e), and the combo box only displays b c d e.

    As a workaround, I add a value in my array, for example (0 a b c d e).

jep
  • 448

5 Answers5

9

This is actually documented (maybe not at the time the question was posted, didn't check), not in the manual but in zenity --help-forms :

$ LANG=en_US zenity --help-forms
Usage:
  zenity [OPTION...]

Forms dialog options
  --forms                                           Display forms dialog
  --add-entry=Field name                            Add a new Entry in forms dialog
  --add-password=Field name                         Add a new Password Entry in forms dialog
  --add-calendar=Calendar field name                Add a new Calendar in forms dialog
  --add-list=List field and header name             Add a new List in forms dialog
  --list-values=List of values separated by |       List of values for List
  --column-values=List of values separated by |     List of values for columns
  --add-combo=Combo box field name                  Add a new combo box in forms dialog
  --combo-values=List of values separated by |      List of values for combo box
  --show-header                                     Show the columns header
  --text=TEXT                                       Set the dialog text
  --separator=SEPARATOR                             Set output separator character
  --forms-date-format=PATTERN                       Set the format for the returned date

Therefore:

zenity --forms --title "Window title" --text "Combo name" --add-combo "Insert your choice." --combo-values "a|b|c|d|e"
David Foerster
  • 36,890
  • 56
  • 97
  • 151
Skippy le Grand Gourou
  • 2,183
5

I think you want to use --text-entry for the array of values, not --text (reference). Using:

#!/bin/bash
array=(a b c d e)
value=$(zenity --entry --title "Window title" --entry-text "${array[@]}" --text "Insert your choice.")

I see the default value of the dropdown box pre-filled with the first value of array, and all values available.

David Foerster
  • 36,890
  • 56
  • 97
  • 151
pwlars
  • 160
5

The first element of the array gets eaten up by --text. After expansion, your zenitiy line looks like:

zenity --entry --title "Window title" --text a b c d e --text "Insert your choice."
# Which zenity treats equivalent to
zenity --entry --title "Window title" --text a --text "Insert your choice." b c d e

So you first set the text to a, then you override that with "Insert your choice." And the remaining arguments become the choices.

What you want is:

zenity --entry --title "Window title" --text "Insert your choice." a b c d e
# Hence:
zenity --entry --title "Window title" --text "Insert your choice." "${array[@]}"
David Foerster
  • 36,890
  • 56
  • 97
  • 151
geirha
  • 47,279
0

Unfortunately, if you consider the definition of a combo box vs. a drop down as pointed out in this SO answer, zenity's --add-combo and --combo-values options mentioned in @skippy's answer create a drop down, not a combo box. (zenity --version 3.42.1)

So it's not possible to create a combo with zenity's --forms dialog (at least not yet.) Also both of the behaviors mentioned by @geirha and @pwlars for creating a combo with --entry dialog aren't defined in the manuals. (Though I personally prefer the later method.)

pavd
  • 21
0

Was also looking for a (less documented) zenity combo thingy like this ;-)

It makes it possible to create a tiny program with a lot of possibilities.

I know there is also yad, and I like it too, but sometimes it feels like it's easier to work with zenity in script. Less (no) 'export' and 'bash -c', less 'echo > /dev/tty' with zenity.

My example of sth (a 7z 'guified' script) I'm working on (yes, on Mint):

VAR_WINIC="/usr/share/icons/Mint-Y/apps/32/zen-icon.png" # will become sth else probably. If you place it in every zenity, it always shows in panel aka taskbar.

fun_7z_menu (){
VAR_MENU=$(zenity --window-icon="${VAR_WINIC}" --width="600" --height="100" --entry --title="7z" --text="MENU" 

--entry-text=

"01. Choice One" 

"02. Choice Two" 

"03. Etcetera" 

--cancel-label="Exit" --ok-label="Select")


No space after '' at the end of the lines!


Escape & Closure:


VAR_RET=$? # Close program in case of cancel-button (Exit) or Esc (window X, for zenity the Esc is 252, included 255 anyway)
case ${VAR_RET} in
1|252|255)
exit 0
;;
esac


Menu items:


case ${VAR_MENU} in
"01"*) # Be careful if you have another number '01' within the entry-text. You could also just paste the whole entry-text-line here.
echo "Sth" # Possibly return sth to the terminal


possibly launch some fun_function here


fun_7z_menu # This relaunches aka keeps alive the zenity combo window after an item has been selected or another function has been executed.
;;
"02"*)
echo "Sth else"


possibly launch some fun_function here


fun_7z_menu
;;
"03"*)
echo "Sth etcetera"


possibly launch some fun_function here


fun_7z_menu
;;
esac
}


fun_7z_menu

There are probably other ways, but this gives possibilities I think.

Cheerio.

xinuzimi
  • 1