edit_textbuf.sh

#!/bin/sh
#
# edit_textbuf
#
# Grab the current text buffer, and open it in a editor window, when
# finshed replace the contents of the original text buffer.
#
###
#
# Orig Author: Ben Collerson {benc[at]bur[dot]st}  24 Oct 2004
# Fixes by:    Shreevatsa R                        28 Dec 2006
# Modified by: Anthony Thyssen                     10 Nov 2010
#
# CAVAT:
#
# The script will fail if a specific text buffer is not actually active,
# essentually you may get and edit the last text buffer, but it may not
# paste back into place, or if during edit you switch text buffers in the
# same application it may replace the test in a different text buffer!
#
# INSTALLATION:
#
# Software Requirements
#   "xprop"   find the actualy current window
#   "xte"     from xautomation for XEvent injection  ALT: "xdotool"
#   "xwit"    controlling client focus               ALT: "wmctrl" "xdotool"
#   "xsel"    X selection handling                   ALT: "xselection"
#
# Other than that you need to set the "editor" below to something that
# launches a "X Window Editor", see below for examples.
#
# Then bind this script with some specific key sequence, typically via
# the window manger being used.
#
# For fluxbox/bbkeys use something like this
#
#   KeyToGrab(e), WithModifier(Mod1), WithAction(ExecCommand),
#     DoThis(edit_textbuffer)
#
# For openbox somethng like this
#
#   <keybind key="W-e">
#     <action name="Execute">
#       <!-- personal script to edit a text buffer -->
#       <command>edit_textbuf</command>
#     </action>
#   </keybind>
#
####
PROGNAME=`type $0 | awk '{print $3}'`  # search for executable on path
PROGNAME=`basename $PROGNAME`          # base name of program

# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
# User Configuration Section

# The prefered X Window Editor to use...
# editor="xterm -g 80x24 -name $PROGNAME -n $PROGNAME -T $PROGNAME \ 
       # -e ${VISUAL:=vi}" 
editor="konsole --nofork -e vim"

# Alternative suggestions.
# editor="/bin/gvim -f"
# editor="/bin/emacs"
# editor="/usr/bin/emacsclient -a emacs"

# Note the editor must not fork (which is why you need: gvim -f).
# When the editor finished the saved text is returned to the textbuffer.
#
# --------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Get the current windows information
winid=`xprop -root _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW | sed 's/.* //'`
wintitle=`xprop -id $winid WM_CLASS | sed 's/.*= "//; s/", .*//'`

# This script works by actually simulating the keystrokes that programs
# use for Select-All, Copy, and Paste.
#
# Different programs use different ones; so we use $wintitle to decide
# what to do. The common browsers (Firefox, Mozilla, Konqueror, Opera)
# seem to only differ in what they use for Select-All; so the rest of
# the functions are constant functions here. Write your own functions
# below if the ones here don't apply to your programs.

xte_selectall()
{
  case "$wintitle" in
  Navagator)
    echo '
      | usleep 50000
      | keydown Alt_L
      | key a
      | keyup Alt_L
      ' | sed -n '/^ *|/!d; s/^ *|//; s/^ //; p' | xte
    # xdotool windowfocus -sync window=$1 alt+a
    ;;
  *)
    echo '
      | usleep 50000
      | keydown Control_L
      | key a
      | keyup Control_L
      ' | sed -n '/^ *|/!d; s/^ *|//; s/^ //; p' | xte
    # xdotool windowfocus -sync window=$1 ctrl+l
    ;;
  esac
}

xte_copy()
{
  echo '
    | usleep 50000
    | keydown Control_L
    | key c
    | keyup Control_L
    ' | sed -n '/^ *|/!d; s/^ *|//; s/^ //; p' | xte
  # xdotool windowfocus -sync window=$1 ctrl+l
}

xte_paste()
{
  echo '
    | usleep 50000
    | keydown Control_L
    | key v
    | keyup Control_L
    ' | sed -n '/^ *|/!d; s/^ *|//; s/^ //; p' | xte
  # xdotool windowfocus -sync window=$1 ctrl+v
}

xte_home()
{
  echo '
    | usleep 50000
    | keydown Control_L
    | key Home
    | keyup Control_L
    ' | sed -n '/^ *|/!d; s/^ *|//; s/^ //; p' | xte
  # xdotool windowfocus -sync window=$1 ctrl+Home
}

# ---------------------------------------------------------------
# Main Routine

# Setup temporary file
umask 77
tmp=`mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/$PROGNAME.XXXXXXXXXX"` ||
{ echo >&2 "$PROGNAME: Unable to create temporary file"; exit 10;}
trap 'rm -f "$tmp"' 0
trap 'exit 2' 1 2 3 15

# copy text using application keyboard short-cuts
xte_selectall $winid
xte_copy $winid
xte_home $winid

xsel -b -o > "$tmp"
# xselection CLIPBOARD > "$tmp"
# xclip -selection clipboard -o > "$tmp"

# invoke the editor, wait for it to finish
$editor "$tmp"

# applications generally use the clipboard for paste!
xsel -b -i < "$tmp"
# xselection CLIPBOARD - < "$tmp"

# some applications use the primary selection
# xselection PRIMARY - < "$tmp"
# xsel -p -i < "$tmp"

# activates the original window
# Not needed if xdotool is used above
xwit -focus -id $winid
# wmctrl -ia $winid

# paste text using application keyboard short-cuts
xte_selectall $winid
xte_paste $winid
xte_home $winid

# finished - auto clean up
# -------------------------------------------------------------------