TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Menu captures (Re: Frame problems) From:"RJULIUS.US.ORACLE.COM" <RJULIUS -at- US -dot- ORACLE -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 15 Jun 1994 17:10:31 PDT
***This is pretty annoying--only 1 in 3 of my posts to this list make it.
Anyone else having this problem? This only happens to me on this list.***
***Two messages follow; this morning I wrote:
The following command takes screen captures with open menus in Unix (works on
an X windows system--I do this on Motif) using the xwd Unix command:
sleep 5; xwd -screen -out /<directory_path>/<menu_shot_name> -name
<"windowname">
or
-id <id from xwininfo>
Usage:
"sleep 5" causes the command to pause for 5 seconds.
"xwd" is the screen capture command.
The "-screen" switch isn't documented in my man pages for xwd, but it's the
switch you use for menu captures (regrettably, the "-frame" switch doesn't
work with "-screen", so you lose the outside X window border--anyone know a
way around this?). There are other switches--consult your man pages for xwd.
"-out" enables you to specify a path and filename for the capture.
You have to use either the "-name" switch (type the window name in double
quotes, exactly as it appears in the, um, whatever you call that top bar) or
the "-id" switch (type xwininfo to get the X IDs of your windows).
Make sure the window you're capturing is the active window (it will be if you
just opened a menu). I prefer this to the screendump command, but it produces
an xwd (X11) raster file, not a Sun raster file. Both are pretty easy to
convert, though, using xv or PBM Plus.
Kinda makes you love the Mac and tolerate Windows, no?
***Over lunch I wrote (responding to Glen Accardo about the xgrabsc command):
Glen, thanks! I tried this using the -w switch (output to xwd format) and
the -k switch (use the Control key to snap the window). The -k switch is
particularly useful because if your cursor is on the menu, you get just the
open menu (no window), and if your cursor is on the window, you get both.
There isn't a -post switch, though. Not on standard Unix.
BTW, regarding LaVonna's message about xv, if you decide to ftp this
wonderful, full-featured graphics manipulation program (which includes The
Virtual Schnauser, a great utility for showing screen shot files on X as
graphical icons), you'll want to get the updated manual as well. About 100
well-written pages (it's provided with the software in compressed postscript
format), and certainly worth having if you do any work on Unix.
***Hope this one makes it. Cheers.
Rich Julius Oracle Corporation
Senior Technical Writer Box 659504
Decision Support Systems 500 Oracle Parkway
(415) 506-4971 Redwood Shores, CA 94065
President, Berkeley Chapter, Society for Technical Communication
"The advantage of a classical education is that it enables you to despise
the wealth which it prevents you from achieving." --Russell Green
