AIX for PS/2 X Windows User's Guide
AIX Operating System
IBM AIX X-Windows
User's Guide
2.0 Chapter 2. AIX X-Windows Commands, Section 6
2.6 aixwm
2.6.1 Menu Modes
2.6.2 Selection Methods
2.6.3 Window Manager Command Menu
2.6.4 Set
2.6.5 Tools
2.6.6 The Tools Menu Controller
2.6.7 The Tools Menu File
2.6.8 .Xdefaults Keywords
2.6 aixwm
Purpose Provides window manager functions.
Syntax
PICTURE 11
Description
The window manager allows you to manipulate windows on
the screen. aixwm does the following:
_ Implements overlapping windows
_ Allows windows to be moved, hidden, and
resized
_ Allows the order of the windows in a stack
of overlapping windows to be manipulated
_ Allows the keyboard focus to be attached
to a window
_ Allows commands to be invoked from a window
_ Allows various display options to be set.
While performing window manager operations, the window
manager normally takes control of the screen at various times to assure
that the screen image remains correct. When this happens, requests
from other applications are temporarily suspended until the window manager
finishes the operation.
aixwm Flags
b=f
Specifies an association between a button
(b) and a function (f).
b can be one of the following:
l left
r right
m both (middle)
l indicates the left
mouse button, r indicates the right mouse button, and m indicates the both
mouse button. When using a three-button mouse, specify m by pressing
the middle button.
f can be one of the following functions:
c circulate
C Cancel
f focus
h hide/show
l lower
m move
p pop button
used to pop up command menu at the mouse cursor position
P Print
r raise
R Refresh
S Set
T Tools
z resize
-display name:number
Identifies the host name and display number
where aixwm is to run. Normally, the host name and display number
are obtained from the environment variable DISPLAY.
For more information, refer to "Display Specification" in topic 2.3.5.
-fi font
Specifies an icon font to use when hiding
a window. Any fixed-width font can be used. The default is Rom14.500
for a large display and Rom10.500
for a small display.
-fn font
Specifies a font for use in display of the
menu. Any fixed-width font can be used. The default is Rom14.500
for a large display and Rom10.500
for a small display.
-fs font
Specifies the font to use when sizing a window.
Any fixed-width font can be used. The default is Rom14.500
for a large display and Rom10.500
for a small display.
-ft font
Specifies the font to use in the title bar
for a client window. Any fixed-width font can be used. The default
is Rom14.500 for a large display
and Rom10.500 for a small
display.
-geometry geometry
Specifies the location of the aixwm window.
The default is -0+0. Values
for width and height, if entered, are not used. For more information,
refer to "Geometry Specification" in topic 2.3.2.
-h
Displays the menu horizontally. The
default is vertical.
-H
Specifies hide mode. The default is
off.
-% num
Controls where the icon is to be placed when
hiding a window. The default threshold amount is 5 pixels.
If the mouse is moved more than a threshold
amount or if this is the first time the window has been hidden, the icon
appears at the location of the mouse cursor when the button is released.
Otherwise, the icon reappears at its previous location. A negative
value disables this effect.
-@ num
Specifies the width in pixels of the border
when a window is focused. The default is 5 pixels.
-q printerqueue
Specifies the printer queue to use when a
request is issued to print the screen.
-r
Enables reverse video.
-selectkey
Specifies the selection key used in combination
with the mouse button to select menu items automatically. selectkey
is one of the following:
a signifying left Alt (Alt)
(Default)
c signifying Ctrl
g signifying right Alt (Alt
Graphic)
l signifying Lockshift
m signifying left Alt
(Meta)
s signifying Shift
n signifying none.
-tb
Disables the display of the window manager
title bar for client windows on startup. By default, the window manager
title bar is displayed for the client window on startup.
2.6.1 Menu Modes
The window manager has two modes of operation:
Normal
Hidden.
For more information about the hidden mode, see "Button/Key
Selection" in topic 2.6.2.
The default mode is normal. The default pop-up button
is the right button. The default selection key is the Alt key.
In the normal mode, the command menu is always visible.
The menu window's home position is the upper-right corner of the screen.
To perform an action, click any mouse button in the appropriate menu box
and click the same button in the window you wish to select.
To activate hidden mode, use the -H
option. In the hidden mode, the menu's home position is hidden until
it is popped up. The command menu pops up when the pop-up button
is pressed. At least one button must be defined to cause the command
menu to pop up. Whenever the pop-up button is clicked while the appropriate
combination of Ctrl, Alt, and Shift keys are pressed, or any time a button
is clicked in the background, the menu appears beneath the cursor.
You can then use the menu as defined for the pop-up button.
2.6.2 Selection Methods
Selection within the menu can be done with one of the following
methods:
Move the mouse cursor to the window manager menu and select
a menu item with any button.
Press pop-up button to view window manager menu and then
release button at a menu item.
Pressing button and key combinations for automatic selection.
This mechanism, which is
represented in the window manager command
menu, allows a key in combination with a
mouse button to automatically select
a menu item and immediately apply the function to a
window. Automatic selection is applied
to the window containing the mouse cursor. For an
example of the window manager command
menu, refer to "Window Manager Command
Menu" in topic 2.6.3.
Pop-up Button Selection: Pressing
the pop-up button (by default with Alt down) moves the command menu with
the previously selected item or the central one beneath the mouse cursor.
The menu remains at that location until an item is selected or until the
mouse cursor is moved out of the menu. By default,
the pop-up button is the right button, but it can be defined to
be any button.
When a command is selected:
The menu item remains selected until the command is completed.
The menu is returned to its previous state and location
if aixwm is in normal mode. If the
menu is in hidden mode, the menu is
removed from the display.
NOTE: If the mouse cursor
is moved out of the menu, nothing is selected. This is useful if
you decide not to select an item once the menu is activated.
Button/Key Selection: aixwm
reserves certain button/key combinations and interprets them as operations
on existing windows. Button/key selection can be used in place of
the default mouse button and menu selection method to automatically select
and run an operation.
The key combination can be specified in the command line
with some subset of the options:
a
signifying
left Alt (Alt)
(default)
c
signifying
Ctrl
g
signifying
right Alt (Alt Graphic)
l
signifying
Lockshift
m
signifying
left Alt (Meta)
s
signifying
Shift
n
signifying
none
For example, if you specify the options -ca,
the Ctrl and Alt keys must be down at the time a mouse button is pressed.
The option -n means that no
keys need to be held down. The option -n
is not recommended because it means that application programs never receive
unshifted mouse clicks.
2.6.3 Window Manager Command
Menu
The window manager displays a menu of commands that you
can use to manipulate windows on the display. By default, the menu
is displayed vertically in the upper-right corner of the display.
On your screen, the window manager command menu looks similar
to the following:
PICTURE 12
Use the menu by selecting an item within the menu, and
then applying the command to a window. Once you select a menu item,
aixwm controls the mouse until the command is completed or canceled.
You can deselect an item on the menu by clicking a different button than
the one used to select the item.
For example, to hide a window, you can use the following
steps:
1. Use mouse cursor to select Hide/Show in the menu. Hide/Show
is highlighted in the menu.
2. Move the mouse cursor to the window to be hidden and press
the same button.
The window is hidden. An icon window is displayed
and Hide/Show is unhighlighted.
The commands in the window manager command menu provide
the following functions:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦ Move
¦ Moves a window. When you select a window, you can
¦
¦
¦ use the mouse to move an outline of the window.
¦
¦
¦ When you release the button, the window is moved.
¦
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Lower
¦ Pushes the window you select to the bottom of any
¦
¦
¦ stack of overlapping windows.
¦
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Resize
¦ Resizes a window. When you apply the mouse cursor
¦
¦
¦ to a window, an outline of the window is displayed. ¦
¦
¦ Moving the mouse cursor changes the size of the
¦
¦
¦ outline, leaving the opposite corner fixed. The
¦
¦
¦ corner that moves depends on the location of the
¦
¦
¦ mouse cursor when the button is pressed.
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ The window is divided into a logical grid of four
¦
¦
¦ rectangles. If the mouse cursor is in one of the
¦
¦
¦ four corner rectangles, the corner closest to the
¦
¦
¦ mouse cursor is moved. When the button is released,¦
¦
¦ the window is resized.
¦
+-----------------+-----------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Focus
¦ Attaches the keyboard to a window. Keyboard input
¦
¦
¦ goes to that window even when the mouse cursor is
¦
¦
¦ outside the window. It also raises the focused
¦
¦
¦ window. Focusing the background detaches the
¦
¦
¦ keyboard from any window by attaching it to the
¦
¦
¦ background window. When no window is focused, the
¦
¦
¦ keyboard input goes to the window that contains the ¦
¦
¦ mouse cursor. The focused window is highlighted by
¦
¦
¦ a partial frame.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Hide/Show
¦ Makes a window into an icon or an icon into a
¦
¦
¦ window. When applied to an icon, Hide/Show makes
¦
¦
¦ the original window reappear at its former position |
¦
¦ on the screen.
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ If a window has not provided an icon, the window
¦
¦
¦ manager creates its own icon and places the name of ¦
¦
¦ the window or icon in it. In this case, the mouse
¦
¦
¦ movement and editing functions discussed in this
¦
¦
¦ section are valid.
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ If the mouse is moved more than a threshold amount
¦
¦
¦ or if this is the first time the window is being
¦
¦
¦ hidden, the icon appears at the location on the
¦
¦
¦ screen where the button is released. Otherwise, the ¦
¦
¦ icon reappears at its previous location.
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ The threshold amount can be changed with the -% num ¦
¦
¦ flag. Giving a negative value disables this effect. ¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ The icon name can be edited. Pressing the Delete or ¦
¦
¦ the Backspace key deletes the last character of the ¦
¦
¦ icon name, pressing Ctrl-U deletes the entire name, ¦
¦
¦ pressing the Enter key detaches the keyboard from
¦
¦
¦ the icon window, and pressing other character keys
¦
¦
¦ appends the characters to the current name.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Cancel
¦ Causes the X Server to disconnect from the selected ¦
¦
¦ window. The window is taken away. Applications
¦
¦
¦ usually terminate when disconnected from the X
¦
¦
¦ Server.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Raise
¦ Raises a client window to the top of the window
¦
¦
¦ stack after it is manipulated (that is, moved or
¦
¦
¦ resized).
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Print
¦ Prints the contents of a window on the printer. The ¦
¦
¦ printer device name is obtained from the environment ¦
¦
¦ variable XPRINTDEV (for example, XPRINTDEV="-device ¦
¦
¦ 3812"). Printer devices are supported as shown
¦
¦
¦ below:
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ 3812 IBM 3812 Pageprinter
¦
¦
¦ 5201 IBM 5201 Quietwriter Model 2
¦
¦
¦ 5202 IBM 5202 Quietwriter III.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Circulate
¦ Causes the lowest window in the stack of overlapping ¦
¦
¦ windows to be raised. Successive applications
¦
¦
¦ reveal each window in turn.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Refresh
¦ Clears the display and forces each application to
¦
¦
¦ redraw its contents.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Set
¦ See "Set" in topic 2.6.4.
¦
+-----------------+------------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Tools
¦ See "Tools" in topic 2.6.5.
¦
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Both Set and Tools display a submenu below or above the
mouse cursor location, depending on the space available. The submenu
remains visible until a selection is made or until the mouse cursor is
moved out of the submenu.
2.6.4 Set
Selecting Set from the window manager command menu displays
a submenu through which you can set various display options. Some
of the options are toggle buttons that can be set either on or off.
If an option is marked with a + (plus sign),
the option is set to on.
The following table lists the options on the Set
menu:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦ Autorepeat
¦ Enables or disables key repeat while a key is ¦
¦
¦ pressed.
¦
+-----------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Hide Menu
¦ Causes aixwm to hide the command menu until ¦
¦
¦ it is activated. Once a command is complete, ¦
¦
¦ the command menu is hidden again.
¦
+-----------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Horizontal Menu
¦ Enables or disables the horizontal display of ¦
¦
¦ menu items.
¦
+-----------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Reverse Video
¦ Reverses foreground and background colors in ¦
¦
¦ the window manager menu.
¦ +-----------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Raise After Action
¦ Raises the window to the top of the window ¦
¦
¦ stack after it is manipulated, for example, ¦
¦
¦ moved or resized.
¦
+-----------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Window Title Bar
¦ Enables or disables the title bar for client ¦
¦
¦ windows on startup. The aixwm window manager ¦
¦
¦ automatically highlights the title bar when ¦
¦
¦ the mouse cursor enters the window and
¦
¦
¦ unhighlights it when the mouse cursor exits ¦
¦
¦ the window. If the window is the Focus
¦
¦
¦ window, the window is highlighted regardless ¦
¦
¦ of the location of the mouse cursor.
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ By clicking any mouse button on the title
¦
¦
¦ bar, a client window is changed into an icon ¦
¦
¦ window. Then, by clicking any mouse button ¦
¦
¦ on the icon window, the icon window changes ¦
¦
¦ to the client window. The client window
¦
¦
¦ reappears at its former position on the
¦ ¦
¦ screen.
¦ ¦
¦
¦
¦
¦ By default, if a window does not have a
¦
¦
¦ window name, the title bar is not displayed. ¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Assign Button
¦ Displays a copy of the command menu and
¦
¦
¦ enables the association of a mouse button
¦
¦
¦ with a menu item. Clicking a button while
|
¦
¦ the mouse cursor is on a menu item associates ¦
¦
¦ the button with the item.
¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Click
¦ Sets the keyboard click to either off (0) or ¦
¦
¦ to a volume level from 1 through 100. A menu ¦
¦
¦ with the current volume is displayed.
¦
¦
¦ Pressing the right button increases the value ¦
¦
¦ and pressing the left button decreases the ¦
¦
¦ value. Pressing both buttons sets the
¦
¦
¦ volume. -1 restores the default.(RT
only) ¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Foreground Color
¦ Displays a menu of available colors from
¦
¦
¦ which you can select a foreground color.
¦
¦
¦ (RT only)
¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Background Color
¦ Displays menu of available colors from which ¦
¦
¦ you can select a background color. (RT
only) ¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Bell
¦ Sets the bell to either off (0) or to a
¦
¦
¦ volume level from 1 through 100. A menu with ¦
¦
¦ the current volume is displayed. Pressing
¦
¦
¦ the right button increases the value and
¦
¦
¦ pressing the left button decreases the value. ¦
¦
¦ Pressing both buttons sets the volume. -1
¦
¦
¦ restores the default. (RT only)
¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Mouse
¦ Sets the acceleration and threshold for the ¦
¦
¦ mouse. A menu for each value is displayed in ¦
¦
¦ sequence. Pressing the right button
¦
¦
¦ increases the value and pressing the left
¦
¦
¦ button decreases the value. Pressing both
¦
¦
¦ buttons sets the value. -1 restores the
¦
¦
¦ default.
¦
+------------------------+-----------------------------------------------¦
¦ Screen
¦ Sets the length of time in minutes before the ¦
¦
¦ server clears the screen. A menu with the
¦
¦
¦ default value is displayed. Pressing the
¦
¦
¦ right button increases the value and pressing ¦
¦
¦ the left button decreases the value.
¦
¦
¦ Pressing both buttons sets the time. -1
¦
¦
¦ restores the default.
¦
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
2.6.5 Tools
Selecting Tools displays a menu of application program
names that can be invoked within aixwm. Using this menu, you
can select and start programs within X-Windows. The Tools menu supports
the invocation of three classes of programs:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦ X-Windows
¦ Application programs written directly to the X
¦
¦ applications
¦ library and invoked by their command names.
¦
+------------------+----------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Emulation
¦ Character application programs that are supported ¦
¦ applications
¦ by the aixterm HFT emulation function; invoked
¦
¦
¦ with the "aixterm -e app"
command.
¦
+------------------+----------------------------------------------------¦
¦ Full-screen
¦ Programs that write directly to the display
¦
¦ applications
¦ adapter card and run in monitor mode; invoked with ¦
¦
¦ the "xopen app" command.
¦
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
2.6.6 The Tools Menu Controller
The file /usr/lpp/X11/defaults/X.txt
controls what is displayed in the command menu. The format of a line
in this file is:
function_context__function_name_description
aixwm uses
the function_context field
to invoke a function or open another pop-up text file and uses the
function_name
field to build the command menu. The description is a comment field.
You can modify X.txt
by editing its contents with a text editor or, on the RT, by using the
Menu
Update command. This command is similar to the Tools
Update menu in Usability Services.
To use Menu Update, Usability Services must be installed on the system.
For more information about Usability Services, see Usability Services Reference.
A file named Xtools.txt
for the Tools pop-up is added within X.txt.
The default Xtools.txt contains the AIX shell and the analog and digital
clock applications.
2.6.7 The Tools Menu File
The file Xtools.txt
contains information on application programs accessible through the Tools
window. The format of a line in this file is:
____exec_program_command_name_description
aixwm uses the exec_program
field to invoke the application program. The exec_program
field allows a command string to be supplied rather than just a command
name. This allows the customization of commands. The command_name
field is used to build the Tools pop-up. The description is a comment
field.
For example, the command:
aixterm -geometry
80x24 -fn Rom14.500 -em78
specifies that the EM78 program be invoked in a new window
with the Rom14.500 font. This must be done to support invocation
of full-screen applications.
2.6.8 .Xdefaults Keywords
Default keywords used to customize aixwm
.(Example default file /usr/lpp/X11/defaults)
bodyFont
Specifies any fixed-width body font used for the aixwm menu.
frameWidth
Specifies the width of the border in pixels when you choose to focus on
a window. One way to focus on a window is to choose Focus
from the window manager menu. When you focus on a window, all keyboard
input goes to that window regardless of the location of the mouse cursor.
geometry
Specifies the location of the window manager. For more information
about geometry, see "Geometry Specification" in topic 2.3.2.
hide
If true, it enables hide mode.
iconFont
Specifies the font used in the icon window.
iconifyDelta
Controls where the icon window is to be placed when using the Hide option
from the window manager menu. If this is the first time that the
window has been hidden, or if the mouse is moved more than a threshold
amount, the icon window is displayed at the location on the screen where
the button is released. Otherwise, the icon window reappears at its
previous location. A negative value disables this effect.
Note:
For more information about the mouse threshold, see -t flag on page 2.8.
keyCombination
Specifies the selection key to be used by the window manager.
leftButton
Specifies an association between the left button and a function. For more
information, see "Button/Key Selection" in topic 2.6.2.
menuFormat
If h is indicated, it displays the menu horizontally.
middleButton
Specifies an association between both buttons and a function. For more
information, see "Button/Key Selection" in topic 2.6.2.
raised
Raises a client window to the top of the window stack after it is manipulated
(that is, moved or resized).
queueName
Specifies the printer queue to use when a request is issued to print the
screen.
reverseVideo
If true, it reverses the foreground and background color.
rightButton
Specifies an association between the right button and a function. For more
information, see "Button/Key Selection" in topic 2.6.2.
sizeFont
Specifies any fixed-width font as the default font used when displaying
the new geometry while resizing a window.
titleBar
Disables the title bar for client windows at startup.
titleFont
Specifies the title font to use in the title bar of the client windows.
For more information about these keywords, see "Changing
X-Windows Defaults" in topic 3.3.
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