# phpman > man > xmessage(1) *Source: tldr-pages* --- [XMESSAGE(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/XMESSAGE/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [XMESSAGE(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/XMESSAGE/1/markdown) ## NAME xmessage - display a message or query in a window (X-based /bin/echo) ## SYNOPSIS **xmessage** [ **-buttons** _label1_[**:**_value1_]**,**_label2_[**:**_value2_]**,** ... ] [ _options_ ] **-file** _filename_ **xmessage** [ **-buttons** _label1_[**:**_value1_]**,**_label2_[**:**_value2_]**,** ... ] [ _options_ ] _message_ ... ## DESCRIPTION The _xmessage_ program displays a window containing a message from the command line, a file, or standard input. Along the lower edge of the message is row of buttons; clicking the left mouse button on any of these buttons will cause _xmessage_ to exit. Which button was pressed is returned in the exit status and, optionally, by writing the label of the button to stan‐ dard output. The program is typically used by shell scripts to display information to the user or to ask the user to make a choice. Unless a size is specified, _xmessage_ sizes itself to fit the message, up to a maximum size. If the message is too big for the window, _xmessage_ will display scroll bars. ## OPTIONS These are the command line options that _xmessage_ understands, in addition to the standard ones listed in [**X**(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/X/7/markdown). ### -buttons This option will cause _xmessage_ to create one button for each comma-separated _button_ argument. The corresponding resource is **buttons**. Each _button_ consists of a label optionally followed by a colon and an exit value. The label is the name of the Com‐ mand button widget created and will be the default text displayed to the user. Since this is the name of the widget it may be used to change any of the resources associ‐ ated with that button. The exit value will be returned by _xmessage_ if that button is selected. The default exit value is 100 plus the button number. Buttons are num‐ bered from the left starting with one. The default string if no **-buttons** option is given is **okay:0**. ### -default Defines the button with a matching _label_ to be the default. If not specified there is no default. The corresponding resource is **defaultButton**. Pressing Return any‐ where in the _xmessage_ window will activate the default button. The default button has a wider border than the others. ### -file File to display. The corresponding resource is **file**. A _filename_ of `**-**' reads from standard input. If this option is not supplied, _xmessage_ will display all non-option arguments in the style of _echo_. Either **-file** or a message on the command line should be provided, but not both. ### -print put. Equivalent to setting the **printValue** resource to TRUE. This is one way to get feedback as to which button was pressed. ### -center source to TRUE. ### -nearmouse Pop up the window near the mouse cursor. Equivalent to setting the **nearMouse** re‐ source to TRUE. ### -timeout Exit with status 0 after _secs_ seconds if the user has not clicked on a button yet. The corresponding resource is **timeout**. ## WIDGET HIERARCHY Knowing the name and position in the hierarchy of each widget is useful when specifying re‐ sources for them. In the following chart, the class and name of each widget is given. Xmessage (xmessage) Form form Text message Command (label1) Command (label2) . . . ## RESOURCES The program has a few top-level application resources that allow customizations that are spe‐ cific to _xmessage_. **file** A String specifying the file to display. **buttons** A String specifying the buttons to display. See the **-buttons** command-line option. ### defaultButton A String specifying a default button by label. ### printValue A Boolean value specifying whether the label of the button pressed to exit the pro‐ gram is written to standard output. The default is FALSE. **center** A Boolean value specifying whether to pop up the window at the center of the screen. The default is FALSE. ### nearMouse A Boolean value specifying whether to pop up the window near the mouse cursor. The default is FALSE. **timeout** The number of seconds after which to exit with status 0. The default is 0, which means never time out. **maxHeight** **(**class **Maximum)** The maximum height of the text part of the window in pixels, used if no size was specified in the geometry. The default is 0, which means use 70% of the height of the screen. **maxWidth** **(**class **Maximum)** The maximum width of the text part of the window in pixels, used if no size was spec‐ ified in the geometry. The default is 0, which means use 70% of the width of the screen. ## ACTIONS **exit(**_value_**)** exit immediately with an exit status of _value_ (default 0). This action can be used with translations to provide alternate ways of exiting _xmessage_. ### default-exit() exit immediately with the exit status specified by the default button. If there is no default button, this action has no effect. ## EXIT STATUS If it detects an error, _xmessage_ returns 1, so this value should not be used with a button. ## SEE ALSO [_X_(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/X/7/markdown), [_echo_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/echo/1/markdown), [_cat_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/cat/1/markdown) ## AUTHORS Chris Peterson, MIT Project Athena Stephen Gildea, X Consortium X Version 11 xmessage 1.0.5 [XMESSAGE(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/XMESSAGE/1/markdown)