X Resources

NEdit has additional options to those provided in the Preferences menu which are set using X resources. Like most other X programs, NEdit can be customized to vastly unnecessary proportions, from initial window positions down to the font and shadow colors of each individual button (A complete discussion of how to do this is left to books on the X Windows System). Key binding (see KEY BINDING) is one of the most useful of these resource settable options.

X resources are usually specified in a file called .Xdefaults or .Xresources in your home directory (on VMS this is sys$login:decw$xdefaults.dat). On some systems, this file is read and its information attached to the X server (your screen) when you start X. On other systems, the .Xdefaults file is read each time you run an X program. When X resource values are attached to the X server, changes to the resource file are not available to application programs until you either run the xrdb program with the appropriate file as input, or re-start the X server.

 The .nedit File

The .nedit (saved preferences) file is in the same format as an X resource file, and its contents can be moved into your X resource file. One reason for doing so would be to attach server specific preferences, such as a default font to a particular X server. Another reason for moving preferences into the X resource file would be to keep preferences menu options and resource settable options together in one place. Though the files are the same format, additional resources should not be added to the .nedit file, they will not be read, and NEdit modifies this file by overwriting it completely. Note also that the contents of the .nedit file take precedence over the values of X resources. Using Save Defaults after moving the contents of your .nedit file to your .Xdefaults file will re-create the .nedit file, interfering with the options that you have moved.

 Selected X Resource Names

The following are selected NEdit resource names and default values for NEdit options not settable via the Preferences menu (for preference resource names, see your .nedit file):

• nedit.tagFile: (not defined)
  The name of a file of the type produced by the Unix ctags command which NEdit will load at startup time (see Finding Subroutine and data declarations). The tag file provides a database from which NEdit can automatically open files containing the definition of a particular subroutine or data type.
• nedit.shell: /bin/csh
  (Unix systems only) The Unix shell (command interpreter) to use for executing commands from the Shell menu
• nedit.wordDelimiters: .,/\\`'!@#%^&*()-=+{}[]":;<>?
  The characters, in addition to blanks and tabs, which mark the boundaries between words for the move-by-word (Ctrl+Arrow) and select-word (double click) commands.
• nedit.remapDeleteKey: True
  Setting this resource to False restores the original Motif binding of the delete key to forward-delete. This binding causes problems when X servers with one delete/ backspace configuration are connected with X clients of the other. Users with a backspace key in the backspace/delete position and who use only machines with that style of keyboard can set this resource to False to get back the forward-delete function of the delete key.
• nedit.bgMenuButton: ~Shift~Ctrl~Meta~Alt<Btn3Down>
  Specification for mouse button / key combination to post the background menu (in the form of an X translation table event specification). The event specification should be as specific as possible, since it will override less specific translation table entries.
• nedit.maxPrevOpenFiles: 30
  Number of files listed in the Open Previous sub-menu of the File menu. Setting this to zero disables the Open Previous menu item and maintenance of the .neditdb file.
• nedit.stdOpenDialog: False
  Setting this resource to True restores the standard Motif style of Open dialog. NEdit file open dialogs are missing a text field at the bottom of the dialog, where the file name can be entered as a string. The field is removed in NEdit to encourage users to type file names in the list, a non-standard, but much faster method for finding files.
• nedit.printCommand: (system specific)
  Command used by the print dialog to print a file, i.e. lp, lpr, etc..
• nedit.printCopiesOption: (system specific)
  Option name used to specify multiple copies to the print command. If the option should be separated from its argument by a space, leave a trailing space. If blank, no "Number of Copies" item will appear in the print dialog.
• nedit.printQueueOption: (system specific)
  Option name used to specify a print queue to the print command. If the option should be separated from its argument by a space, leave a trailing space. If blank, no "Queue" item will appear in the print dialog.
• nedit.printNameOption: (system specific)
  Option name used to specify a job name to the print command. If the option should be separated from its argument by a space, leave a trailing space. If blank, no job or file name will be attached to the print job or banner page.
• nedit.printHostOption: (system specific)
  Option name used to specify a host name to the print command. If the option should be separated from its argument by a space, leave a trailing space. If blank, no "Host" item will appear in the print dialog.
• nedit.printDefaultQueue: (system specific)
  The name of the default print queue. Used only to display in the print dialog, and has no effect on printing.
• nedit.printDefaultHost: (system specific)
  The node name of the default print host. Used only to display in the print dialog, and has no effect on printing.
• nedit.multiClickTime: (system specific)
  Maximum time in milliseconds allowed between mouse clicks within double and triple click actions.
• nedit*scrollBarPlacement: BOTTOM_LEFT
  How scroll bars are placed in NEdit windows, as well as various lists and text fields in the program. Other choices are: BOTTOM_RIGHT, TOP_LEFT, or TOP_RIGHT.
• nedit*text.autoWrapPastedText: False
  When Auto- Newline Wrap is turned on, apply automatic wrapping (which normally only applies to typed text) to pasted text as well.
• nedit*text.heavyCursor: False
  For monitors with poor resolution or users who have difficulty seeing the cursor, makes the cursor in the text editing area of the window heavier and darker.
• nedit*text.foreground: black
  Foreground color of the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.background: white
  Background color of the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.selectForeground: black
  Foreground (text) color for selections in the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.selectBackground: gray80
  Color for selections in the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.highlightForeground: white
  Foreground (text) color for highlights (parenthesis flashing) in the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.highlightBackground: red
  Color for highlights (parenthesis flashing) in the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.cursorForeground: black
  Color for text cursor in the text editing area of the NEdit window.
• nedit*text.blinkRate: 600
  Blink rate of the text insertion cursor in milliseconds. Set to zero to stop blinking.
• nedit*text.Translations:
  Modifies key bindings (see below).
• nedit*foreground: black
  Default foreground color for menus, dialogs, scroll bars, etc..
• nedit*background: gray70
  Default background color for menus, dialogs, scroll bars, etc..
• nedit*fontList: helvetica-bold-14
  Default font for menus, dialogs, scroll bars, etc..
• nc.autoStart: False
  Whether the nc program should automatically start an NEdit server (without prompting the user) if an appropriate server is not found.
• nc.serverCommand: nedit -server
  Command used by the nc program to start an NEdit server.

 Selected NEdit Widget Names

You can change colors, fonts, and other characteristics, of the widgets named below, by appending .background, .foreground, .fontList, etc., to these names:

• nedit*statsLine
  Statistics line
• nedit*menuBar
  Top-of-window menu-bar
• nedit*textHorScrollBar
  Horizontal scroll bar
• nedit*textVertScrollBar
  Vertical scroll bar
• nedit*helpText
  Help window text