[vox-tech] "bring to front" X-window command

[Josh Parsons]

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004, Mark K. Kim wrote:

> So there seems to be *some* facility for programs to request some sort of
> shuffling to the window manager.  XMMS even knows how to move itself and
> detect screen edges, functions you'd think are only available to the
> window manger...

> Which is what Jonathan was looking for -- a non-WM-specific way to bring a
> window to the front.

The XRaiseWindow() Xlib function is the standard way to do this.  man
3 XRaiseWindow to learn more about it.

XMMS is special (or so I believe): it creates an "override redirect"
window - i.e. a window that is not subject to window management.
Override redirect is normally used for (e.g.) pull-down menus, tooltips,
etc.  This means that XMMS itself has to do some work that is normally
done by the WM - for example, providing a means for the user to drag,
resize, raise and lower the XMMS winmdow.

Actually, this is not necessary to detect screen edges - that type of
information is available to every X client.  The only special thing about
the window manager is that it has selected SubstructureRedirect events on
the root window, so it can manipulate other clients' requests to create
top-level windows.

---
Josh Parsons
Philosophy Department
1238 Social Sciences and Humanities Bldg.
University of California
Davis, CA 95616-8673
USA

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