GTK+ 3 Reference Manual: GtkEntryBuffer

## GtkEntryBuffer GtkEntryBuffer — Text buffer for GtkEntry |

## Synopsis

    #include <gtk/gtk.h>

    struct              GtkEntryBuffer;
    GtkEntryBuffer *    gtk_entry_buffer_new                (const gchar *initial_chars,
                                                             gint n_initial_chars);
    const gchar *       gtk_entry_buffer_get_text           (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);
    void                gtk_entry_buffer_set_text           (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             const gchar *chars,
                                                             gint n_chars);
    gsize               gtk_entry_buffer_get_bytes          (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);
    guint               gtk_entry_buffer_get_length         (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);
    gint                gtk_entry_buffer_get_max_length     (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);
    void                gtk_entry_buffer_set_max_length     (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             gint max_length);
    guint               gtk_entry_buffer_insert_text        (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             const gchar *chars,
                                                             gint n_chars);
    guint               gtk_entry_buffer_delete_text        (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             gint n_chars);
    void                gtk_entry_buffer_emit_deleted_text  (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             guint n_chars);
    void                gtk_entry_buffer_emit_inserted_text (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             const gchar *chars,
                                                             guint n_chars);

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----GtkEntryBuffer

## Properties

      "length"                   guint                 : Read
      "max-length"               gint                  : Read / Write
      "text"                     gchar*                : Read / Write

## Signals

      "deleted-text"                                   : Run First
      "inserted-text"                                  : Run First

## Description

The GtkEntryBuffer class contains the actual text displayed in a GtkEntry widget.

A single GtkEntryBuffer object can be shared by multiple GtkEntry widgets which will then share the same text content, but not the cursor position, visibility attributes, icon etc.

GtkEntryBuffer may be derived from. Such a derived class might allow text to be stored in an alternate location, such as non-pageable memory, useful in the case of important passwords. Or a derived class could integrate with an application's concept of undo/redo.

## Details

### struct GtkEntryBuffer

    struct GtkEntryBuffer;

### gtk_entry_buffer_new ()

    GtkEntryBuffer *    gtk_entry_buffer_new                (const gchar *initial_chars,
                                                             gint n_initial_chars);

Create a new GtkEntryBuffer object.

Optionally, specify initial text to set in the buffer.

`initial_chars` : | initial buffer text, or `NULL`. [allow-none]
`n_initial_chars` : | number of characters in `initial_chars`, or -1
Returns : | A new GtkEntryBuffer object.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_get_text ()

    const gchar *       gtk_entry_buffer_get_text           (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);

Retrieves the contents of the buffer.

The memory pointer returned by this call will not change unless this object emits a signal, or is finalized.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
Returns : | a pointer to the contents of the widget as a string. This string points to internally allocated storage in the buffer and must not be freed, modified or stored.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_set_text ()

    void                gtk_entry_buffer_set_text           (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             const gchar *chars,
                                                             gint n_chars);

Sets the text in the buffer.

This is roughly equivalent to calling `gtk_entry_buffer_delete_text()` and `gtk_entry_buffer_insert_text()`.

Note that `n_chars` is in characters, not in bytes.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`chars` : | the new text
`n_chars` : | the number of characters in `text`, or -1

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_get_bytes ()

    gsize               gtk_entry_buffer_get_bytes          (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);

Retrieves the length in bytes of the buffer. See `gtk_entry_buffer_get_length()`.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
Returns : | The byte length of the buffer.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_get_length ()

    guint               gtk_entry_buffer_get_length         (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);

Retrieves the length in characters of the buffer.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
Returns : | The number of characters in the buffer.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_get_max_length ()

    gint                gtk_entry_buffer_get_max_length     (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer);

Retrieves the maximum allowed length of the text in `buffer`. See `gtk_entry_buffer_set_max_length()`.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
Returns : | the maximum allowed number of characters in GtkEntryBuffer, or 0 if there is no maximum.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_set_max_length ()

    void                gtk_entry_buffer_set_max_length     (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             gint max_length);

Sets the maximum allowed length of the contents of the buffer. If the current contents are longer than the given length, then they will be truncated to fit.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`max_length` : | the maximum length of the entry buffer, or 0 for no maximum. (other than the maximum length of entries.) The value passed in will be clamped to the range 0-65536.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_insert_text ()

    guint               gtk_entry_buffer_insert_text        (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             const gchar *chars,
                                                             gint n_chars);

Inserts `n_chars` characters of `chars` into the contents of the buffer, at position `position`.

If `n_chars` is negative, then characters from chars will be inserted until a null-terminator is found. If `position` or `n_chars` are out of bounds, or the maximum buffer text length is exceeded, then they are coerced to sane values.

Note that the position and length are in characters, not in bytes.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`position` : | the position at which to insert text.
`chars` : | the text to insert into the buffer.
`n_chars` : | the length of the text in characters, or -1
Returns : | The number of characters actually inserted.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_delete_text ()

    guint               gtk_entry_buffer_delete_text        (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             gint n_chars);

Deletes a sequence of characters from the buffer. `n_chars` characters are deleted starting at `position`. If `n_chars` is negative, then all characters until the end of the text are deleted.

If `position` or `n_chars` are out of bounds, then they are coerced to sane values.

Note that the positions are specified in characters, not bytes.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`position` : | position at which to delete text
`n_chars` : | number of characters to delete
Returns : | The number of characters deleted.

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_emit_deleted_text ()

    void                gtk_entry_buffer_emit_deleted_text  (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             guint n_chars);

Used when subclassing GtkEntryBuffer

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`position` : | position at which text was deleted
`n_chars` : | number of characters deleted

Since 2.18

### gtk_entry_buffer_emit_inserted_text ()

    void                gtk_entry_buffer_emit_inserted_text (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                             guint position,
                                                             const gchar *chars,
                                                             guint n_chars);

Used when subclassing GtkEntryBuffer

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`position` : | position at which text was inserted
`chars` : | text that was inserted
`n_chars` : | number of characters inserted

Since 2.18

## Property Details

### The `"length"` property

      "length"                   guint                 : Read

The length (in characters) of the text in buffer.

Allowed values: <= 65535

Default value: 0

Since 2.18

### The `"max-length"` property

      "max-length"               gint                  : Read / Write

The maximum length (in characters) of the text in the buffer.

Allowed values: [0,65535]

Default value: 0

Since 2.18

### The `"text"` property

      "text"                     gchar*                : Read / Write

The contents of the buffer.

Default value: ""

Since 2.18

## Signal Details

### The `"deleted-text"` signal

    void                user_function                      (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                            guint           position,
                                                            guint           n_chars,
                                                            gpointer        user_data)      : Run First

This signal is emitted after text is deleted from the buffer.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`position` : | the position the text was deleted at.
`n_chars` : | The number of characters that were deleted.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

Since 2.18

### The `"inserted-text"` signal

    void                user_function                      (GtkEntryBuffer *buffer,
                                                            guint           position,
                                                            gchar          *chars,
                                                            guint           n_chars,
                                                            gpointer        user_data)      : Run First

This signal is emitted after text is inserted into the buffer.

`buffer` : | a GtkEntryBuffer
`position` : | the position the text was inserted at.
`chars` : | The text that was inserted.
`n_chars` : | The number of characters that were inserted.
`user_data` : | user data set when the signal handler was connected.

Since 2.18