TYPEBREAK(1)

NAME
typebreak - user-controlled typing breaks

SYNOPSIS
typebreak

DESCRIPTION
typebreak is a user-friendly interface and program to prevent the user from typing for too long a period without a break. typebreak is written in Tcl/Tk and therefore requires a working "wish" shell. The restart button will reset the idle time and the typing time accumulations. This can give a "fresh start" to a session. The save button stores away the input parameters into the initialization file ~/.typebreak. These parameters will be retrieved upon starting up typebreak again. The exit button quits typebreak. Note that no attempt is made at saving the parameters. Work is the number of minutes of accumulated typing necessary before typebreak asks the user to take a break. Break is the number of minutes of accumulated idle time (time not spent typing) that is required before allowing the user to type without warnings. Prehook is the program to be executed just before a warning is brought up to halt typing. (I use this hook for printing my e-mail so I'm forced to stand up.) Duringhook is the program to be executed for each minute during the break period. (I use this hook for setting my time out on my screensaver to increase the time.) Two environment variables are set. TYPEBREAK_INCREASED is set to "1" is the user continues to type during the break period, "0" if not. TYPEBREAK_BREAKMINLEFT is set to the number of minutes remaining for the break period. Posthook is the program to be executed just after the break has finished. (I use this hook for reset the time out on my screensaver to its default value.) Log file is the name of a file where a log of significant events will be written. (This could be used to calculate various statistics such as number of breaks per day or total typing minutes per day.) Leaving log file blank will prevent any log file from being written.

BUGS
When running the Reactive Keyboard while typebreak is a child, and one of the input textfields have been selected, junk occassionally gets put into the textfields. This may be a general bug in Tcl/Tk.

SEE ALSO
finger(1)

AUTHOR
Robert Brown (robertb@barra.com or dummy@emf.net)

VERSION
The latest version is 0.7 as of 10/23/95. To get the latest version at any time, send an e-mail to the author with the subject "typebreak" only and the latest version will be automatically sent to you. Please forward any bugs and/or criticisms to the author.