Protocol text_input_unstable_v1

Interface zwp_text_input_v1 — text input

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 The text input can then ignore events from the input method which are based on an outdated state (for example after a reset).

Warning! The protocol described in this file is experimental and backward incompatible changes may be made. Backward compatible changes may be added together with the corresponding interface version bump. Backward incompatible changes are done by bumping the version number in the protocol and interface names and resetting the interface version. Once the protocol is to be declared stable, the 'z' prefix and the version number in the protocol and interface names are removed and the interface version number is reset.

Request zwp_text_input_v1.activate — request activation

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.

• seat object<wl_seat>: None
• surface object<wl_surface>: None

Request zwp_text_input_v1.deactivate — request deactivation

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.

• seat object<wl_seat>: None

Request zwp_text_input_v1.show_input_panel — show input panels

Requests input panels (virtual keyboard) to show.

Request zwp_text_input_v1.hide_input_panel — hide input panels

Requests input panels (virtual keyboard) to hide.

Request zwp_text_input_v1.reset — 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.

Request zwp_text_input_v1.set_surrounding_text — sets the surrounding text

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, then it is the same as cursor.

• text string: None
• cursor uint: None
• anchor uint: None

Request zwp_text_input_v1.set_content_type — set content purpose and hint

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.

• hint uint: None
• purpose uint: None

Request zwp_text_input_v1.set_cursor_rectangle

• x int: None
• y int: None
• width int: None
• height int: None

Request zwp_text_input_v1.set_preferred_language — sets preferred language

Sets a specific language. This allows for example a virtual keyboard to show a language specific layout. The "language" argument is an RFC-3066 format language tag.

It could be used for example in a word processor to indicate the language of the currently edited document or in an instant message application which tracks languages of contacts.

• language string: None

Request zwp_text_input_v1.commit_state

• serial uint: used to identify the known state

Request zwp_text_input_v1.invoke_action

• button uint: None
• index uint: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.enter — enter event

Notify the text_input object when it received focus. Typically in response to an activate request.

• surface object<wl_surface>: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.leave — leave event

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.

Event zwp_text_input_v1.modifiers_map — modifiers map

Transfer an array of 0-terminated modifier names. The position in the array is the index of the modifier as used in the modifiers bitmask in the keysym event.

• map array: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.input_panel_state — state of the input panel

Notify when the visibility state of the input panel changed.

• state uint: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.preedit_string — pre-edit

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.

• serial uint: serial of the latest known text input state
• text string: None
• commit string: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.preedit_styling — pre-edit styling

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.

• index uint: None
• length uint: None
• style uint: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.preedit_cursor — pre-edit cursor

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.

• index int: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.commit_string — commit

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 also be 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.

• serial uint: serial of the latest known text input state
• text string: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.cursor_position — set cursor to new position

Notify when the cursor or anchor position should be modified.

This event should be handled as part of a following commit_string event.

• index int: None
• anchor int: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.delete_surrounding_text — delete surrounding text

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.

• index int: None
• length uint: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.keysym — keysym

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 an 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)

• serial uint: serial of the latest known text input state
• time uint: None
• sym uint: None
• state uint: None
• modifiers uint: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.language — language

Sets the language of the input text. The "language" argument is an RFC-3066 format language tag.

• serial uint: serial of the latest known text input state
• language string: None

Event zwp_text_input_v1.text_direction — text direction

Sets the text direction of input text.

It is mainly needed for showing an input cursor on the correct side of the editor when there is no input done yet and making sure neutral direction text is laid out properly.

• serial uint: serial of the latest known text input state
• direction uint: None

Enum zwp_text_input_v1.content_hint — content hint

Content hint is a bitmask to allow to modify the behavior of the text input.

• none: no special behaviour
• default: auto completion, correction and capitalization
• password: hidden and sensitive text
• auto_completion: suggest word completions
• auto_correction: suggest word corrections
• auto_capitalization: switch to uppercase letters at the start of a sentence
• lowercase: prefer lowercase letters
• uppercase: prefer uppercase letters
• titlecase: prefer casing for titles and headings (can be language dependent)
• hidden_text: characters should be hidden
• sensitive_data: typed text should not be stored
• latin: just latin characters should be entered
• multiline: the text input is multiline

Interface zwp_text_input_manager_v1 — text input manager

A factory for text_input objects. This object is a global singleton.

Request zwp_text_input_manager_v1.create_text_input — create text input

Creates a new text_input object.

• id new_id<zwp_text_input_v1>: None