TextView#

class TextView(**properties: Any)#

Superclasses: Widget, InitiallyUnowned, Object

Implemented Interfaces: Accessible, AccessibleText, Buildable, ConstraintTarget, Scrollable

A widget that displays the contents of a TextBuffer.

https://docs.gtk.org/gtk4/multiline-text.png

You may wish to begin by reading the conceptual overview, which gives an overview of all the objects and data types related to the text widget and how they work together.

Shortcuts and Gestures#

GtkTextView supports the following keyboard shortcuts:

Shift`+:kbd:`F10 or Menu opens the context menu.
Ctrl`+:kbd:`Z undoes the last modification.
Ctrl`+:kbd:`Y or Ctrl`+:kbd:`Shift`+:kbd:`Z redoes the last undone modification.

Additionally, the following signals have default keybindings:

backspace
copy_clipboard
cut_clipboard
delete_from_cursor
insert_emoji
move_cursor
paste_clipboard
select_all
toggle_cursor_visible
toggle_overwrite

Actions#

GtkTextView defines a set of built-in actions:

clipboard.copy copies the contents to the clipboard.
clipboard.cut copies the contents to the clipboard and deletes it from the widget.
clipboard.paste inserts the contents of the clipboard into the widget.
menu.popup opens the context menu.
misc.insert-emoji opens the Emoji chooser.
selection.delete deletes the current selection.
selection.select-all selects all of the widgets content.
text.redo redoes the last change to the contents.
text.undo undoes the last change to the contents.

CSS nodes#

textview.view
├── border.top
├── border.left
├── text
│   ╰── [selection]
├── border.right
├── border.bottom
╰── [window.popup]

GtkTextView has a main css node with name textview and style class .view, and subnodes for each of the border windows, and the main text area, with names border and text, respectively. The border nodes each get one of the style classes .left, .right, .top or .bottom.

A node representing the selection will appear below the text node.

If a context menu is opened, the window node will appear as a subnode of the main node.

Accessibility#

GtkTextView uses the TEXT_BOX role.

Constructors#

class TextView

classmethod new() → Widget#

Creates a new GtkTextView.

If you don’t call set_buffer before using the text view, an empty default buffer will be created for you. Get the buffer with get_buffer. If you want to specify your own buffer, consider new_with_buffer.

classmethod new_with_buffer(buffer: TextBuffer) → Widget#

Creates a new GtkTextView widget displaying the buffer buffer.

One buffer can be shared among many widgets. buffer may be None to create a default buffer, in which case this function is equivalent to new. The text view adds its own reference count to the buffer; it does not take over an existing reference.

Parameters:: buffer – a GtkTextBuffer

Methods#

class TextView

add_child_at_anchor(child: Widget, anchor: TextChildAnchor) → None#

Adds a child widget in the text buffer, at the given anchor.

Parameters:

child – a GtkWidget
anchor – a GtkTextChildAnchor in the GtkTextBuffer for text_view

add_overlay(child: Widget, xpos: int, ypos: int) → None#

Adds child at a fixed coordinate in the GtkTextView’s text window.

The xpos and ypos must be in buffer coordinates (see get_iter_location to convert to buffer coordinates).

child will scroll with the text view.

If instead you want a widget that will not move with the GtkTextView contents see GtkOverlay.

Parameters:

child – a GtkWidget
xpos – X position of child in window coordinates
ypos – Y position of child in window coordinates

backward_display_line(iter: TextIter) → bool#

Moves the given iter backward by one display (wrapped) line.

A display line is different from a paragraph. Paragraphs are separated by newlines or other paragraph separator characters. Display lines are created by line-wrapping a paragraph. If wrapping is turned off, display lines and paragraphs will be the same. Display lines are divided differently for each view, since they depend on the view’s width; paragraphs are the same in all views, since they depend on the contents of the GtkTextBuffer.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

backward_display_line_start(iter: TextIter) → bool#

Moves the given iter backward to the next display line start.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

buffer_to_window_coords(win: TextWindowType, buffer_x: int, buffer_y: int) → tuple[int, int]#

Converts buffer coordinates to window coordinates.

Parameters:

win – a GtkTextWindowType
buffer_x – buffer x coordinate
buffer_y – buffer y coordinate

forward_display_line(iter: TextIter) → bool#

Moves the given iter forward by one display (wrapped) line.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

forward_display_line_end(iter: TextIter) → bool#

Moves the given iter forward to the next display line end.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

get_accepts_tab() → bool#

Returns whether pressing the Tab key inserts a tab characters.

See set_accepts_tab.

get_bottom_margin() → int#: Gets the bottom margin for text in the text_view.

get_buffer() → TextBuffer#

Returns the GtkTextBuffer being displayed by this text view.

The reference count on the buffer is not incremented; the caller of this function won’t own a new reference.

get_cursor_locations(iter: TextIter | None = None) → tuple[Rectangle, Rectangle]#

Determine the positions of the strong and weak cursors if the insertion point is at iter.

The position of each cursor is stored as a zero-width rectangle. The strong cursor location is the location where characters of the directionality equal to the base direction of the paragraph are inserted. The weak cursor location is the location where characters of the directionality opposite to the base direction of the paragraph are inserted.

If iter is None, the actual cursor position is used.

Note that if iter happens to be the actual cursor position, and there is currently an IM preedit sequence being entered, the returned locations will be adjusted to account for the preedit cursor’s offset within the preedit sequence.

The rectangle position is in buffer coordinates; use buffer_to_window_coords to convert these coordinates to coordinates for one of the windows in the text view.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

get_cursor_visible() → bool#: Find out whether the cursor should be displayed.

get_editable() → bool#

Returns the default editability of the GtkTextView.

Tags in the buffer may override this setting for some ranges of text.

get_extra_menu() → MenuModel#: Gets the menu model that gets added to the context menu or None if none has been set.

get_gutter(win: TextWindowType) → Widget | None#

Gets a GtkWidget that has previously been set as gutter.

See set_gutter.

win must be one of LEFT, RIGHT, TOP, or BOTTOM.

Parameters:: win – a GtkTextWindowType

get_indent() → int#

Gets the default indentation of paragraphs in text_view.

Tags in the view’s buffer may override the default. The indentation may be negative.

get_input_hints() → InputHints#: Gets the input-hints of the GtkTextView.

get_input_purpose() → InputPurpose#: Gets the input-purpose of the GtkTextView.

get_iter_at_location(x: int, y: int) → tuple[bool, TextIter]#

Retrieves the iterator at buffer coordinates x and y.

Buffer coordinates are coordinates for the entire buffer, not just the currently-displayed portion. If you have coordinates from an event, you have to convert those to buffer coordinates with window_to_buffer_coords.

Parameters:

x – x position, in buffer coordinates
y – y position, in buffer coordinates

get_iter_at_position(x: int, y: int) → tuple[bool, TextIter, int]#

Retrieves the iterator pointing to the character at buffer coordinates x and y.

Note that this is different from get_iter_at_location, which returns cursor locations, i.e. positions between characters.

Parameters:

x – x position, in buffer coordinates
y – y position, in buffer coordinates

get_iter_location(iter: TextIter) → Rectangle#

Gets a rectangle which roughly contains the character at iter.

The rectangle position is in buffer coordinates; use buffer_to_window_coords to convert these coordinates to coordinates for one of the windows in the text view.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

get_justification() → Justification#

Gets the default justification of paragraphs in text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

get_left_margin() → int#

Gets the default left margin size of paragraphs in the text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

get_line_at_y(y: int) → tuple[TextIter, int]#

Gets the GtkTextIter at the start of the line containing the coordinate y.

y is in buffer coordinates, convert from window coordinates with window_to_buffer_coords. If non-None, line_top will be filled with the coordinate of the top edge of the line.

Parameters:: y – a y coordinate

get_line_yrange(iter: TextIter) → tuple[int, int]#

Gets the y coordinate of the top of the line containing iter, and the height of the line.

The coordinate is a buffer coordinate; convert to window coordinates with buffer_to_window_coords.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

get_ltr_context() → Context#

Gets the PangoContext that is used for rendering LTR directed text layouts.

The context may be replaced when CSS changes occur.

Added in version 4.4.

get_monospace() → bool#: Gets whether the GtkTextView uses monospace styling.

get_overwrite() → bool#: Returns whether the GtkTextView is in overwrite mode or not.

get_pixels_above_lines() → int#

Gets the default number of pixels to put above paragraphs.

Adding this function with get_pixels_below_lines is equal to the line space between each paragraph.

get_pixels_below_lines() → int#

Gets the default number of pixels to put below paragraphs.

The line space is the sum of the value returned by this function and the value returned by get_pixels_above_lines.

get_pixels_inside_wrap() → int#: Gets the default number of pixels to put between wrapped lines inside a paragraph.

get_right_margin() → int#

Gets the default right margin for text in text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

get_rtl_context() → Context#

Gets the PangoContext that is used for rendering RTL directed text layouts.

The context may be replaced when CSS changes occur.

Added in version 4.4.

get_tabs() → TabArray | None#

Gets the default tabs for text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the defaults. The returned array will be None if “standard” (8-space) tabs are used. Free the return value with free.

get_top_margin() → int#: Gets the top margin for text in the text_view.

get_visible_rect() → Rectangle#

Fills visible_rect with the currently-visible region of the buffer, in buffer coordinates.

Convert to window coordinates with buffer_to_window_coords.

get_wrap_mode() → WrapMode#: Gets the line wrapping for the view.

im_context_filter_keypress(event: Event) → bool#

Allow the GtkTextView input method to internally handle key press and release events.

If this function returns True, then no further processing should be done for this key event. See filter_keypress.

Note that you are expected to call this function from your handler when overriding key event handling. This is needed in the case when you need to insert your own key handling between the input method and the default key event handling of the GtkTextView.

static gboolean
gtk_foo_bar_key_press_event (GtkWidget *widget,
                             GdkEvent  *event)
{
  guint keyval;

  gdk_event_get_keyval ((GdkEvent*)event, &keyval);

  if (keyval == GDK_KEY_Return || keyval == GDK_KEY_KP_Enter)
    {
      if (gtk_text_view_im_context_filter_keypress (GTK_TEXT_VIEW (widget), event))
        return TRUE;
    }

  // Do some stuff

  return GTK_WIDGET_CLASS (gtk_foo_bar_parent_class)->key_press_event (widget, event);
}

Parameters:: event – the key event

move_mark_onscreen(mark: TextMark) → bool#

Moves a mark within the buffer so that it’s located within the currently-visible text area.

Parameters:: mark – a GtkTextMark

move_overlay(child: Widget, xpos: int, ypos: int) → None#

Updates the position of a child.

See add_overlay.

Parameters:

child – a widget already added with add_overlay
xpos – new X position in buffer coordinates
ypos – new Y position in buffer coordinates

move_visually(iter: TextIter, count: int) → bool#

Move the iterator a given number of characters visually, treating it as the strong cursor position.

If count is positive, then the new strong cursor position will be count positions to the right of the old cursor position. If count is negative then the new strong cursor position will be count positions to the left of the old cursor position.

In the presence of bi-directional text, the correspondence between logical and visual order will depend on the direction of the current run, and there may be jumps when the cursor is moved off of the end of a run.

Parameters:

iter – a GtkTextIter
count – number of characters to move (negative moves left, positive moves right)

place_cursor_onscreen() → bool#: Moves the cursor to the currently visible region of the buffer.

remove(child: Widget) → None#

Removes a child widget from text_view.

Parameters:: child – the child to remove

reset_cursor_blink() → None#

Ensures that the cursor is shown.

This also resets the time that it will stay blinking (or visible, in case blinking is disabled).

This function should be called in response to user input (e.g. from derived classes that override the textview’s event handlers).

reset_im_context() → None#

Reset the input method context of the text view if needed.

This can be necessary in the case where modifying the buffer would confuse on-going input method behavior.

scroll_mark_onscreen(mark: TextMark) → None#

Scrolls text_view the minimum distance such that mark is contained within the visible area of the widget.

Parameters:: mark – a mark in the buffer for text_view

scroll_to_iter(iter: TextIter, within_margin: float, use_align: bool, xalign: float, yalign: float) → bool#

Scrolls text_view so that iter is on the screen in the position indicated by xalign and yalign.

An alignment of 0.0 indicates left or top, 1.0 indicates right or bottom, 0.5 means center. If use_align is False, the text scrolls the minimal distance to get the mark onscreen, possibly not scrolling at all. The effective screen for purposes of this function is reduced by a margin of size within_margin.

Note that this function uses the currently-computed height of the lines in the text buffer. Line heights are computed in an idle handler; so this function may not have the desired effect if it’s called before the height computations. To avoid oddness, consider using scroll_to_mark which saves a point to be scrolled to after line validation.

Parameters:

iter – a GtkTextIter
within_margin – margin as a [0.0,0.5) fraction of screen size
use_align – whether to use alignment arguments (if False, just get the mark onscreen)
xalign – horizontal alignment of mark within visible area
yalign – vertical alignment of mark within visible area

scroll_to_mark(mark: TextMark, within_margin: float, use_align: bool, xalign: float, yalign: float) → None#

Scrolls text_view so that mark is on the screen in the position indicated by xalign and yalign.

Parameters:

mark – a GtkTextMark
within_margin – margin as a [0.0,0.5) fraction of screen size
use_align – whether to use alignment arguments (if False, just get the mark onscreen)
xalign – horizontal alignment of mark within visible area
yalign – vertical alignment of mark within visible area

set_accepts_tab(accepts_tab: bool) → None#

Sets the behavior of the text widget when the Tab key is pressed.

If accepts_tab is True, a tab character is inserted. If accepts_tab is False the keyboard focus is moved to the next widget in the focus chain.

Focus can always be moved using Ctrl`+:kbd:`Tab.

Parameters:: accepts_tab – True if pressing the Tab key should insert a tab character, False, if pressing the Tab key should move the keyboard focus.

set_bottom_margin(bottom_margin: int) → None#

Sets the bottom margin for text in text_view.

Note that this function is confusingly named. In CSS terms, the value set here is padding.

Parameters:: bottom_margin – bottom margin in pixels

set_buffer(buffer: TextBuffer | None = None) → None#

Sets buffer as the buffer being displayed by text_view.

The previous buffer displayed by the text view is unreferenced, and a reference is added to buffer. If you owned a reference to buffer before passing it to this function, you must remove that reference yourself; GtkTextView will not “adopt” it.

Parameters:: buffer – a GtkTextBuffer

set_cursor_visible(setting: bool) → None#

Toggles whether the insertion point should be displayed.

A buffer with no editable text probably shouldn’t have a visible cursor, so you may want to turn the cursor off.

Note that this property may be overridden by the gtk_keynav_use_caret setting.

Parameters:: setting – whether to show the insertion cursor

set_editable(setting: bool) → None#

Sets the default editability of the GtkTextView.

You can override this default setting with tags in the buffer, using the “editable” attribute of tags.

Parameters:: setting – whether it’s editable

set_extra_menu(model: MenuModel | None = None) → None#

Sets a menu model to add when constructing the context menu for text_view.

You can pass None to remove a previously set extra menu.

Parameters:: model – a GMenuModel

set_gutter(win: TextWindowType, widget: Widget | None = None) → None#

Places widget into the gutter specified by win.

win must be one of LEFT, RIGHT, TOP, or BOTTOM.

Parameters:

win – a GtkTextWindowType
widget – a GtkWidget

set_indent(indent: int) → None#

Sets the default indentation for paragraphs in text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

Parameters:: indent – indentation in pixels

set_input_hints(hints: InputHints) → None#

Sets the input-hints of the GtkTextView.

The input-hints allow input methods to fine-tune their behaviour.

Parameters:: hints – the hints

set_input_purpose(purpose: InputPurpose) → None#

Sets the input-purpose of the GtkTextView.

The input-purpose can be used by on-screen keyboards and other input methods to adjust their behaviour.

Parameters:: purpose – the purpose

set_justification(justification: Justification) → None#

Sets the default justification of text in text_view.

Tags in the view’s buffer may override the default.

Parameters:: justification – justification

set_left_margin(left_margin: int) → None#

Sets the default left margin for text in text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

Note that this function is confusingly named. In CSS terms, the value set here is padding.

Parameters:: left_margin – left margin in pixels

set_monospace(monospace: bool) → None#

Sets whether the GtkTextView should display text in monospace styling.

Parameters:: monospace – True to request monospace styling

set_overwrite(overwrite: bool) → None#

Changes the GtkTextView overwrite mode.

Parameters:: overwrite – True to turn on overwrite mode, False to turn it off

set_pixels_above_lines(pixels_above_lines: int) → None#

Sets the default number of blank pixels above paragraphs in text_view.

Tags in the buffer for text_view may override the defaults.

Parameters:: pixels_above_lines – pixels above paragraphs

set_pixels_below_lines(pixels_below_lines: int) → None#

Sets the default number of pixels of blank space to put below paragraphs in text_view.

May be overridden by tags applied to text_view’s buffer.

Parameters:: pixels_below_lines – pixels below paragraphs

set_pixels_inside_wrap(pixels_inside_wrap: int) → None#

Sets the default number of pixels of blank space to leave between display/wrapped lines within a paragraph.

May be overridden by tags in text_view’s buffer.

Parameters:: pixels_inside_wrap – default number of pixels between wrapped lines

set_right_margin(right_margin: int) → None#

Sets the default right margin for text in the text view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

Note that this function is confusingly named. In CSS terms, the value set here is padding.

Parameters:: right_margin – right margin in pixels

set_tabs(tabs: TabArray) → None#

Sets the default tab stops for paragraphs in text_view.

Tags in the buffer may override the default.

Parameters:: tabs – tabs as a PangoTabArray

set_top_margin(top_margin: int) → None#

Sets the top margin for text in text_view.

Note that this function is confusingly named. In CSS terms, the value set here is padding.

Parameters:: top_margin – top margin in pixels

set_wrap_mode(wrap_mode: WrapMode) → None#

Sets the line wrapping for the view.

Parameters:: wrap_mode – a GtkWrapMode

starts_display_line(iter: TextIter) → bool#

Determines whether iter is at the start of a display line.

See forward_display_line for an explanation of display lines vs. paragraphs.

Parameters:: iter – a GtkTextIter

window_to_buffer_coords(win: TextWindowType, window_x: int, window_y: int) → tuple[int, int]#

Converts coordinates on the window identified by win to buffer coordinates.

Parameters:

win – a GtkTextWindowType
window_x – window x coordinate
window_y – window y coordinate

Properties#

class TextView

props.accepts_tab: bool#: The type of the None singleton.

props.bottom_margin: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.buffer: TextBuffer#: The type of the None singleton.

props.cursor_visible: bool#: The type of the None singleton.

props.editable: bool#: The type of the None singleton.

props.extra_menu: MenuModel#: The type of the None singleton.

props.im_module: str#: The type of the None singleton.

props.indent: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.input_hints: InputHints#: The type of the None singleton.

props.input_purpose: InputPurpose#: The type of the None singleton.

props.justification: Justification#: The type of the None singleton.

props.left_margin: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.monospace: bool#: The type of the None singleton.

props.overwrite: bool#: The type of the None singleton.

props.pixels_above_lines: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.pixels_below_lines: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.pixels_inside_wrap: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.right_margin: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.tabs: TabArray#: The type of the None singleton.

props.top_margin: int#: The type of the None singleton.

props.wrap_mode: WrapMode#: The type of the None singleton.

Signals#

class TextView.signals

backspace() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

copy_clipboard() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

cut_clipboard() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

delete_from_cursor(type: DeleteType, count: int) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

type – the granularity of the deletion, as a GtkDeleteType
count – the number of type units to delete

extend_selection(granularity: TextExtendSelection, location: TextIter, start: TextIter, end: TextIter) → bool#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

granularity – the granularity type
location – the location where to extend the selection
start – where the selection should start
end – where the selection should end

insert_at_cursor(string: str) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:: string – the string to insert

insert_emoji() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

move_cursor(step: MovementStep, count: int, extend_selection: bool) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

step – the granularity of the move, as a GtkMovementStep
count – the number of step units to move
extend_selection – True if the move should extend the selection

move_viewport(step: ScrollStep, count: int) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

step – the granularity of the movement, as a GtkScrollStep
count – the number of step units to move

paste_clipboard() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

preedit_changed(preedit: str) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:: preedit – the current preedit string

select_all(select: bool) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:: select – True to select, False to unselect

set_anchor() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

toggle_cursor_visible() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

toggle_overwrite() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

Virtual Methods#

class TextView

do_backspace() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

do_copy_clipboard() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

do_cut_clipboard() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

do_delete_from_cursor(type: DeleteType, count: int) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

type
count

do_extend_selection(granularity: TextExtendSelection, location: TextIter, start: TextIter, end: TextIter) → bool#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

granularity
location
start
end

do_insert_at_cursor(str: str) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:: str

do_insert_emoji() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

do_move_cursor(step: MovementStep, count: int, extend_selection: bool) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

step
count
extend_selection

do_paste_clipboard() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

do_set_anchor() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

do_snapshot_layer(layer: TextViewLayer, snapshot: Snapshot) → None#

The type of the None singleton.

Parameters:

layer
snapshot

do_toggle_overwrite() → None#: The type of the None singleton.

Fields#

class TextView

parent_instance#

priv#