Shell Classes

Shell Classes

Shell classes are used to define resources and behaviors that are common to all widgets having their own window, such as top-level windows, popup menus, and dialogs. Motif describes several different base classes for this purpose, some inherited from Xt, and some defined inside Motif. All the shell classes are introduced below, followed by tables showing the resources available for each.

Shell is the ancestor of all the other abstract shell classes. Having only one managed child, it encapsulates interaction with the window manager. Shell inherits behavior and resources from the Composite and Core classes.

Shell Resources
Resource Name Default Value Type or Legal Value
-allowShellResize False Boolean
-geometry "" String
-overrideRedirect False Boolean
-saveUnder False Boolean
-visual Inherited String

Shell Resources
Resource Name	Default Value	Type or Legal Value
-allowShellResize	False	Boolean
-geometry	""	String
-overrideRedirect	False	Boolean
-saveUnder	False	Boolean
-visual	Inherited	String

WMShell handles protocols that communicate between an application and the window manager. WMShell inherits behavior and resources from Core, Composite, and Shell.

WMShell Resources
Resource Name Default Value Type or Legal Value
-baseHeight none Integer
-baseWidth none Integer
-heightInc none Integer
-iconMask none Pixmap
-iconPixmap none Pixmap
-iconWindow none Window
-iconX -1 Integer
-iconY -1 Integer
-initialState normalState iconicState
normalState
-input False Boolean
-maxAspectX none Integer
-maxAspectY none Integer
-maxHeight none Integer
-maxWidth none Integer
-minAspectX none Integer
-minAspectY none Integer
-minHeight none Integer
-minWidth none Integer
-title argv[0] String
-titleEncoding xa_string compound_text
xa_string
-transient False Boolean
-waitForWm True Boolean
-widthInc none Integer
-windowGroup Window
-winGravity dynamic Integer
-wmTimeout 5000ms Integer

WMShell Resources
Resource Name	Default Value	Type or Legal Value
-baseHeight	none	Integer
-baseWidth	none	Integer
-heightInc	none	Integer
-iconMask	none	Pixmap
-iconPixmap	none	Pixmap
-iconWindow	none	Window
-iconX	-1	Integer
-iconY	-1	Integer
-initialState	normalState	iconicState normalState
-input	False	Boolean
-maxAspectX	none	Integer
-maxAspectY	none	Integer
-maxHeight	none	Integer
-maxWidth	none	Integer
-minAspectX	none	Integer
-minAspectY	none	Integer
-minHeight	none	Integer
-minWidth	none	Integer
-title	argv[0]	String
-titleEncoding	xa_string	compound_text xa_string
-transient	False	Boolean
-waitForWm	True	Boolean
-widthInc	none	Integer
-windowGroup		Window
-winGravity	dynamic	Integer
-wmTimeout	5000ms	Integer

VendorShell controls resources set up in the X server, and contains meaningful defaults for a particular implementation.VendorShell inherits behavior and resources from the Core, Composite, Shell, and WMShell classes.

VendorShell Resources
Resource Name Default Value Type or Legal Value
-defaultFontList dynamic font list
-deleteResponse destroy do_nothing
unmap
destroy
-keyboardFocusPolicy explicit explicit
pointer
-mwmDecorations -1 Integer
-mwmFunctions -1 Integer
-mwmInputMode -1 Integer
-mwmMenu "" String
-shellUnitType pixels pixels
100th_millimeters
1000th_inches
100th_points
100th_font_units
-useAsyncGeometry False Boolean

VendorShell Resources
Resource Name	Default Value	Type or Legal Value
-defaultFontList	dynamic	font list
-deleteResponse	destroy	do_nothing unmap destroy
-keyboardFocusPolicy	explicit	explicit pointer
-mwmDecorations	-1	Integer
-mwmFunctions	-1	Integer
-mwmInputMode	-1	Integer
-mwmMenu	""	String
-shellUnitType	pixels	pixels 100th_millimeters 1000th_inches 100th_points 100th_font_units
-useAsyncGeometry	False	Boolean

TopLevelShell is used for normal top-level windows such as additional window widgets that an application needs. This level is responsible for iconization. TopLevelShell inherits behavior and resources from Core, Composite, Shell, WMShell, and VendorShell.

TopLevelShell Resources
Resource Name Default Value Type or Legal Value
-iconic False Boolean
-iconName "" String
-iconNameEncoding xa_string compound_text
xa_string

TopLevelShell Resources
Resource Name	Default Value	Type or Legal Value
-iconic	False	Boolean
-iconName	""	String
-iconNameEncoding	xa_string	compound_text xa_string

ApplicationShell is used for an application's main top-level window. There should be more than one of these only if a program implements multiple logical applications. ApplicationShell inherits behavior and resources from Core, Composite, Shell, WMShell, VendorShell, and TopLevelShell.

ApplicationShell Resources
Resource Name Default Value Type or Legal Value
-argc Set by XtInitialize() Integer
-argv Set by XtInitialize() String Array

ApplicationShell Resources
Resource Name	Default Value	Type or Legal Value
-argc	Set by XtInitialize()	Integer
-argv	Set by XtInitialize()	String Array

TransientShell is for temporary windows that do not stay visible on screen and must be iconized along with the TopLevelShell they are affiliated with. TransientShell inherits behavior and resources from Core, Composite, Shell, WMShell, and VendorShell.

TransientShell Resources
Resource Name Default Value Type or Legal Value
transientFor none Widget

TransientShell Resources
Resource Name	Default Value	Type or Legal Value
transientFor	none	Widget

Window Sizing

Window sizing constraints may be set either according to the dimensions of a window, or on its aspect ratio (the proportion of width to height). Beside minimum and maximum dimensions, window size may be constrained to follow a given increment.

For instance, using the following setting, the only width allowed for interactive resizing is 150 and 250:

-minWidth 100 -baseWidth 50 -widthInc 100 -maxWidth 300

Window aspect ratios are set using a numerator/denominator formula:

minAspectX    width    maxAspectX
---------- <= ----- <= ----------
minAspectY    height   maxAspectY

Hence, the following constrains the width to stay between a third and half the height:

-minAspectX 1 -minAspectY 3 -maxAspectX 1 -maxAspectY 2

Interactive window resizing may also be ignored by setting the -allowShellResize resource to False.

Window icon resources may be used to define the window icon type, its placement, and so forth.

Icons may be drawn using a (possibly partially transparent) pixmap, or by using a specific alternate window (-iconWindow). A window may be set up to appear in iconic state at creation (-initialState iconicState), and its current state may be retrieved or changed using the -iconic resource.