| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| FreeForm0 | Allow any character |
| Alpha1 | Allow only alphabetic characters |
| Digits2 | Allow only digits |
| Number3 | Edited field expects numbers |
| Phone4 | Edited field expects phone number |
| Url5 | Edited field expects URL |
| Email6 | Edited field expects email address |
| Name7 | Edited field expects the name of a person |
| Password8 | Like gtk.types.InputPurpose.FreeForm, but characters are hidden |
| Pin9 | Like gtk.types.InputPurpose.Digits, but characters are hidden |
| Terminal10 | Allow any character, in addition to control codes |
Describes primary purpose of the input widget.
This information is useful for on-screen keyboards and similar input methods to decide which keys should be presented to the user.
Note that the purpose is not meant to impose a totally strict rule about allowed characters, and does not replace input validation. It is fine for an on-screen keyboard to let the user override the character set restriction that is expressed by the purpose. The application is expected to validate the entry contents, even if it specified a purpose.
The difference between gtk.types.InputPurpose.Digits and gtk.types.InputPurpose.Number is that the former accepts only digits while the latter also some punctuation (like commas or points, plus, minus) and “e” or “E” as in 3.14E+000.
This enumeration may be extended in the future; input methods should interpret unknown values as “free form”.