# Gtk::SourceView - how to disallow modifications? (read only)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gtk-sourceview-how-to-disallow-modifications-read-only/211508>\
**Category:** Ruby-Gnome 2\
**Created:** [September 6, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gtk-sourceview-how-to-disallow-modifications-read-only/211508 "2011-09-06T05:12:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dubstep](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@dubstep](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/dubstep)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gtk-sourceview-how-to-disallow-modifications-read-only/211508/1 "2011-09-06T05:12:57Z")

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Hi,

I sometimes want to read in a file into SourceView but disallow the user  
from making modifications (unless a check box is clicked, for instance.)

Is this possible?

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**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 9:18am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gtk-sourceview-how-to-disallow-modifications-read-only/211508/2 "2011-09-06T09:18:54Z")

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Marc H. wrote in post #1020330:

> Hi,
> 
> I sometimes want to read in a file into SourceView but disallow the user  
> from making modifications (unless a check box is clicked, for instance.)

Most likely with :

[http://ruby-gnome2.sourceforge.jp/hiki.cgi?Gtk%3A%3ATextView#editable%3D](http://ruby-gnome2.sourceforge.jp/hiki.cgi?Gtk%3A%3ATextView#editable%3D)

but I don’t use sourceview myself.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/q/dec6dc/32.png) [@quik77](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/quik77)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/gtk-sourceview-how-to-disallow-modifications-read-only/211508/3 "2011-09-06T17:10:50Z")

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Yes, thank you!

That solves this issue. 🙂

I am silly, I should have looked at the parent classes.

I use SourceView only recently… the old gtksourceview (Version 1)  
seems to no longer work, but gtksourceview2 seems to work and a few  
things have changed.

I am porting all my little ruby-gtk apps that used gtksourceview to  
gtksourceview2 right now.