XAllocWMHints(3X11) XLIB FUNCTIONS XAllocWMHints(3X11)NAME
XAllocWMHints, XSetWMHints, XGetWMHints, XWMHints - allo-
cate window manager hints structure and set or read a win-
dow's WM_HINTS property
SYNTAX
XWMHints *XAllocWMHints()
XSetWMHints(display, w, wmhints)
Display *display;
Window w;
XWMHints *wmhints;
XWMHints *XGetWMHints(display, w)
Display *display;
Window w;
ARGUMENTS
display Specifies the connection to the X server.
w Specifies the window.
wmhints Specifies the XWMHints structure to be used.
DESCRIPTION
The XAllocWMHints function allocates and returns a pointer
to a XWMHints structure. Note that all fields in the
XWMHints structure are initially set to zero. If insuffi-
cient memory is available, XAllocWMHints returns NULL. To
free the memory allocated to this structure, use XFree.
The XSetWMHints function sets the window manager hints
that include icon information and location, the initial
state of the window, and whether the application relies on
the window manager to get keyboard input.
XSetWMHints can generate BadAlloc and BadWindow errors.
The XGetWMHints function reads the window manager hints
and returns NULL if no WM_HINTS property was set on the
window or returns a pointer to a XWMHints structure if it
succeeds. When finished with the data, free the space
used for it by calling XFree.
XGetWMHints can generate a BadWindow error.
PROPERTIES
WM_HINTS Additional hints set by the client for use by
the window manager. The C type of this property
is XWMHints.
STRUCTURES
The XWMHints structure contains:
X Version 11 Release 6.4 1
XAllocWMHints(3X11) XLIB FUNCTIONS XAllocWMHints(3X11)
/* Window manager hints mask bits */
#define InputHint (1L << 0)
#define StateHint (1L << 1)
#define IconPixmapHint (1L << 2)
#define IconWindowHint (1L << 3)
#define IconPositionHint (1L << 4)
#define IconMaskHint (1L << 5)
#define WindowGroupHint (1L << 6)
#define UrgencyHint (1L << 8)
#define AllHints (InputHint|State-
Hint|IconPixmapHint|
IconWindowHint|IconPosi-
tionHint|
IconMaskHint|Window-
GroupHint)
/* Values */
typedef struct {
long flags; /* marks which fields in this structure are defined */
Bool input; /* does this application rely on the window manager to
get keyboard input? */
int initial_state; /* see below */
Pixmap icon_pixmap; /* pixmap to be used as icon */
Window icon_window; /* window to be used as icon */
int icon_x, icon_y; /* initial position of icon */
Pixmap icon_mask; /* pixmap to be used as mask for icon_pixmap */
XID window_group; /* id of related window group */
/* this structure may be extended in the future */
} XWMHints;
The input member is used to communicate to the window man-
ager the input focus model used by the application.
Applications that expect input but never explicitly set
focus to any of their subwindows (that is, use the push
model of focus management), such as X Version 10 style
applications that use real-estate driven focus, should set
this member to True. Similarly, applications that set
input focus to their subwindows only when it is given to
their top-level window by a window manager should also set
this member to True. Applications that manage their own
input focus by explicitly setting focus to one of their
subwindows whenever they want keyboard input (that is, use
the pull model of focus management) should set this member
to False. Applications that never expect any keyboard
input also should set this member to False.
Pull model window managers should make it possible for
push model applications to get input by setting input
focus to the top-level windows of applications whose input
member is True. Push model window managers should make
sure that pull model applications do not break them by
resetting input focus to PointerRoot when it is appropri-
ate (for example, whenever an application whose input mem-
ber is False sets input focus to one of its subwindows).
X Version 11 Release 6.4 2
XAllocWMHints(3X11) XLIB FUNCTIONS XAllocWMHints(3X11)
The definitions for the initial_state flag are:
#define WithdrawnState 0
#define NormalState 1 /* most applications start
this way */
#define IconicState 3 /* application wants to
start as an icon */
The icon_mask specifies which pixels of the icon_pixmap
should be used as the icon. This allows for nonrectangu-
lar icons. Both icon_pixmap and icon_mask must be
bitmaps. The icon_window lets an application provide a
window for use as an icon for window managers that support
such use. The window_group lets you specify that this
window belongs to a group of other windows. For example,
if a single application manipulates multiple top-level
windows, this allows you to provide enough information
that a window manager can iconify all of the windows
rather than just the one window.
The UrgencyHint flag, if set in the flags field, indicates
that the client deems the window contents to be urgent,
requiring the timely response of the user. The window
manager will make some effort to draw the user's attention
to this window while this flag is set. The client must
provide some means by which the user can cause the urgency
flag to be cleared (either mitigating the condition that
made the window urgent or merely shutting off the alarm)
or the window to be withdrawn.
DIAGNOSTICS
BadAlloc The server failed to allocate the requested
resource or server memory.
BadWindow A value for a Window argument does not name a
defined Window.
SEE ALSOXAllocClassHint(3X11), XAllocIconSize(3X11), XAllocSize-
Hints(3X11), XFree(3X11), XSetCommand(3X11), XSetTran-
sientForHint(3X11), XSetTextProperty(3X11), XSetWMClient-
Machine(3X11), XSetWMColormapWindows(3X11), XSetWMIcon-
Name(3X11), XSetWMName(3X11), XSetWMProperties(3X11),
XSetWMProtocols(3X11), XStringListToTextProperty(3X11)
Xlib - C Language X Interface
X Version 11 Release 6.4 3