could you be a bit more specific with your requirements? Should the combination of (multiple) selections be stored in history? Or do you need a multiple entry widget with auto updating suggestions?

Here is an example for the latter using Tk::EntrySet. It is a bit hacky - I did not write it for a history use-case. Just type into the entry and hit return, then watch the suggestions drop-down grow:

use strict;
use warnings;
use Tk;
use Data::Dumper;
my $mw = tkinit;

my $getter = sub{ $_[0]->Subwidget('entry')->get};
my $setter = sub{my $e = $_[0]->Subwidget('entry');
                 $e->delete(0,'end');
                 $e->insert('end', $_[1]);
             };
my $inst = sub{$_[0]->bind('<Key-Return>' ,$_[1]);
               $_[0]->configure(-browsecmd => $_[1]);
           };
my $mbe;
$mbe = $mw->EntrySet(-entryclass   => 'BrowseEntry',
                     -getter       => $getter,
                     -valuelist => [],
                     # -entryoptions => [-choices => []],
                     -setter       => $setter,
                     -callback_installer => $inst,
                     -changed_command => sub{mbe_changed( $mbe )},
                 )->pack(-fill => 'both',
                         -expand => 1);
$mw->Button(-text => 'dump value',
            -command => sub{print Dumper $mbe->valuelist},
            )->pack;
MainLoop;

{
    my  @choices;
    sub mbe_changed{
        my $mbe = shift;
        my %seen;
        my @valuelist = @{$mbe->valuelist};
        for my $item ( @choices, @valuelist) {
            $seen{ $item } = 1;
        }
        @choices = sort keys %seen;
        my @e = (@{$mbe->{_EntrySet}{entry_pool}},
                 @{$mbe->{_EntrySet}{entries}});
        for my $entry ( @e ) {
            $entry->configure(-choices => \@choices);
        }
        $mbe->valuelist(\@valuelist);
    }
}
[download]

Update: It should be perfectly possible to specify -entryclass => 'Tk::HistEntry' for Tk::EntrySet and sync the history of the entry instances in analogy to the example above.

Thanks chris for posting this. This widget is close but doesn't do multiple selections... I may use something like this for the basis for a solution... I am kind of surprised that there isn't anything out there that does this, which is why I was sure that I had just missed it. an entry box with drop down listbox of historical entries?

Hi,

not sure if I get you right... Tk::EntrySet is a composite designed to enter multiple values/selections where the underlying -entryclass allows for a single value/selection only. Just make a selection (or enter a value) in the last (empty) entry, and a new field will appear. Delete contents of an entry, hit return and the entry will disappear.
So instead of having one widget with multiple selection capability, you get a dynamically growing/shrinking set of single selection widgets. Your program will not talk to the entries but to the wrapping Tk::EntrySet instance which provides a simple API for a multiple value widget. You can always access the list of selected values with $entry_set->valuelist.

Can you point us to an example of a widget matching your requirements (Possibly one that is implemented in another UIFramework)?


Cheers, Chris

What I want to be able to do is either enter a new value to be acted on or make selections ( sometimes multiple selections ) from previous entries... an entry widget with a button, and a listbox that drops down when the button is selected... I have a widget that uses a button to expose a listbox in a toplevel and now I need to make history entries as well as multiple selections. HLists won't work. thank you for taking the time and lending your expertise.