| Ide TK Help

How to use IdeTK | Project management | Code Editor | Application key shortcuts | About me

Introduction
IdeTK is a code editor to develop script and applications in tcl tk scripting language.
This software was started in september 2024 and after open ACS conference in Vienna in July 2024.
Many efforts have be done to have one application to :

- Manage complete tcl tk projects
- Code editor with access to fast commands
- One simple and clear interface to enjoy with Tcl tk language.

Requirement

This software is developed on linux mint. I didn't try on windows, mac, or android.

Idetk is made with tcl tk 8.6, so, you need to have these package present on your computer :

- tcl package
- tk package
- sqlite3 for tcl
- png package for tk
- img package for tk

Download and install IdeTK

To download, go to my website and click on this link to download last version.

To install, you need to unzip folder where you want.

To execute program, double click on idetk.sh bash script, or open terminal on linux and write :

./idetk.sh

How to use IdeTK

First execution, you will have form as this :

Menu description

Menu File :

- File -> New project : Create a new Tcl, Tcltk project
- File -> Open project : Open project file tk project (pf8.proj file)
- File -> Save project : Save current projet in pf8.proj file in the application folder
- File -> Save project As : Create new folder and put inside all files from project, and create pf8.proj file
- File -> Reload project : Reload all folder and pf8.proj file.
- File -> quit IdeTK : Exit IdeTK application

Menu Edition

- Edit -> Undo : Undo function for editor
- Edit -> Redo : Redo function for editor
- Edit -> Copy : Copy function for editor
- Edit -> Cut : Cut function for editor
- Edit -> Paste : Paste function for editor
- Edit -> Got to line : move cursor to line
- Edit -> Close editor : Close editor form
- Edit -> Lock this file : Lock in read only selected file in editor

Menu Project

- Project -> Execute : Execute this command : wish main.tk file in your application folder
- Project ->Translate : translate your application using msgcat tk plugin
- Project ->Generate
- Project ->Generate -> Source package : generate Zip of your project folder
- Project ->Publish on the web : send on internet your project for community
- Project ->Clean : remove temporary files inside your project folder
- Project ->Refresh : refresh code in your source code files
- Project ->Properties : Open form for properties of your project

Menu Tools

- Tools -> Find : Find text function for editor
- Tools -> Replace : Replace function for editor
- Tools -> Explore project : Open file explorer
- Tools -> Send by mail : send zip orject by mail
- Tools -> Keyboard shorcuts : Open form to see shortcut
- Tools -> IdeTK preferences : Open form to manage IdeTK interface

Menu ?

- ?-> Help index : Open web browser to see tcl tk official documentation offline
- ?-> Tip of the day : show tips of the day when start ideTK
- ?-> IDE tk help : This help
- ?-> About IdeTK : Informations about IdeTK dveloper.

Toolbar description

Icon new project : Create a new Tcl, Tcltk project
Icon Open project: Open project file tk project (pf8.proj file)
Icon Save project: Save current projet in pf8.proj file in the application folder
Icon Save As project: Create new folder and put inside all files from project, and create pf8.proj file
Icon execute : Execute this command : wish main.tk file in your application folder
Projet management
With IdeTK you have complete projet management.
it means, All files, source code tk file, photos, videos, documents are in one folder with name of your project.
In this folder you will find minimum 2 files :

- File pf8.proj : configuration file (as .ini file on windows).
- File main.tk : First tk source code file.

pf8.proj file has six lines :

- Name of your project
- start source code file (generaly main.tk)
- Description of your project (One phrase to resume)
- default language of your project.
- translate : 0 if project will not be translated, 1 if projecti translated in another language.
- version of your project (change when you create archive source code in menu generate)

Create project
When you click on New project, one form is open as bellow:

1. Select kind of project : Graphic with tk library or command line ,simple tcl project.
2. Select path of new folder will be created
3. Give name of your project (name of project folder without space)

Click Cancel (Annuler in French)
Click Ok to validate.

One folder will be created in your selected path and in this folder (name of your project) will be created two files :

- pf8.proj : project file tk version 8 project who will be your project configuration file.
- main.tk : an empty tk file where you will write your tcl tk code. (Note all source code files need to have .tk extention to be recognize by IdeTK

For our example bellow, i open pf8.proj file inside IdeTK project .

When project is opened, you have this form now :

Code editor

On the left you have list of source code files.
double click on IDEpref.tk and editor will be launched as this one :

you can now edit your code.

Using editor Toolbar

This toolbar has shortcut to increase your productivity when you code .
Let show what is details of this toolbar

- First group of icons create, open, save, and save as your tcl tk code inside edition
- 2nd group of icons cut, copy and paste selected code
- Magnify icon allows you to find or replace text code
- 4th group of icons works like this

1. sharp icon : insert comment line in editor (this line will be validated when you will push ENTER
2. colored circle : Open form to choose and insert color hexadecimal code in editor
3. Font : Open form to Choose and insert font type (font, size, bold, etc..) inside editor.
4. Widget : Open form to Insert code of your widget created inside creation form.

- 5th group of button insert pure code inside editor:

1. proc : insert procedure and brackets
2. if : insert : if and bracket
3. else : insert else and brackets
4. foreach : insert foreach and brackets
5. for : insert for and brackets
6. while : insert while and brackets

Application key shortcut

chapter will arive in a few time...

About me

I'm a French simple worker in agriculture field , living in the south of France, and my hobbie is to program on Linux since 2006.
i discovered tcl tk in 2021 and i changed completely programming language to try tcl tk because this language is :

- Simple and fast to learn.
- Powerfull and compatible with a lot of platform (linux, mac,windows, android, Haiku, etc...)
- Developers team is very active and tcl tk 9 arrive in a few time.

I went to openACS conference about tcl tk in Vienna, and i have met great peoples there who gave me 'peach' to run in this adventure.
Thanks a lot for this motivation.
Since this time, i have created French website www.tcltk.fr with many resources, software from the net and some i develop myself.

What tcl tk need ? A complete IDE to develop 'fastly and furiously' a lot of scripts, programs and others...

Thanks for help from team, and long life to tcl tk !

For any comments or suggests, Mail here: fabien.toniutti@free.fr (French, English, Russian Language are welcome)
;-)