Color resources for the window manager include a background color and a foreground color, top and bottom shadow colors, and pixmaps for shading. Names for colors vary from system to system and can also depend on locale. (See your system documentation for a list of valid color names on your system.)

Set the resources for color using the following general format:

Mwm*resource: color

For example, you might have the following specifications in your .Xdefaults file:

Mwm*background: LightBlue
Mwm*foreground: Black

Mwm*background: IndianRed
Mwm*foreground: Wheat
Mwm*activeBackground: Wheat
Mwm*activeForeground: IndianRed

Using Window Frame Pixmaps

Using a pixmap is a way of creating shades of colors. Pixmaps are drawn in the foreground color. The pixmap is composed of tiles that provide a surface pattern or a visual texture. The concept is analogous to using ceramic tiles to make a pattern or texture on a floor or countertop.

Generally, the fewer colors a display produces, the more important the pixmap resources become. A pixmap provides a way to mix foreground and background colors into a variety of color patterns. For example, with a monochrome display, you can use the pixmap resource to color window frame elements with shades of gray to achieve a 3-dimensional look.

There are mwm pixmap resources for creating a pattern for the frame background and bevels of both inactive and active windows (see Table 5-4).

Table 5-4. Using Pixmaps for Window Frames

Use this resource...	To pattern these elements...
backgroundPixmap	Background for inactive frames
bottomShadowPixmap	Right and bottom bevels of inactive frames
topShadowPixmap	Left and upper bevels of inactive frames
activeBackgroundPixmap	Background of the active frame
activeBottomShadowPixmap	Right and lower bevels of the active frame
activeTopShadowPixmap	Left and upper bevels of the active frame

Figure 5-1 illustrates the various bitmaps that are defined in the Motif environment.

Figure 5-1. Illustrations of Valid Bitmap Values

To obtain the bitmap styles illustrated in the previous figure, use the values listed in Table 5-5.

Table 5-5. Valid Pixmap Values

To pattern an element in this manner...	Use this value...
The foreground color	foreground
The background color	background
A mix of 25% foreground to 75% background	25_foreground
A mix of 50% foreground to 50% background	50_foreground
A mix of 75% foreground to 25% background	75_foreground
In horizontal lines alternating between the foreground and background color	horizontal_tile
In vertical lines alternating between the foreground and background color	vertical_tile
In diagonal lines slanting to the right alternating between the foreground and background color	slant_right
In diagonal lines slanting to the left alternating between the foreground and background color	slant_left

The cleanText resource makes text easier to read on monochrome systems when a backgroundPixmap is specified. This resource controls the display of window manager text in the title area and in the move/resize feedback window. If the value is set to True, the text is drawn with a clear background. Only the background in the area immediately around the text is cleared. If the value is set to False, the text is drawn directly on top of the existing background.

Mwm*icon*resource: color

Mwm*icon*background: CadetBlue

Mwm*icon*Clientclass*resource: color

Mwm*icon*Xterm*background: IndianRed

Mwm*icon*default*resource: color

Mwm*menu*resource: color

Mwm*menu*background: CadetBlue

Mwm*menu*Clientclass*resource: color

Mwm*menu*default*resource: color

Mwm*menu*menuname*resource: value

Mwm*menu*my_menu*background: SlateBlue

Mwm*XLoad*matteWidth: 10

Mwm*matteResource: value

Mwm*matteWidth: 10
Mwm*matteBackground: Yellow

Mwm*Clientclass.matteResource: value

Mwm*default*matteResource: value

Window decorations include a border, a maximize button, a minimize button, a Window Menu button, a title bar, and resize handles. Table 5-9 shows the values that may be used to set the window decorations for a window.

For some applications, the full complement of window decorations may not be desirable. For example, a clock may not need resize handles. The Motif Window Manager has two resources for such situations: clientDecoration and transientDecoration.

The clientDecoration resource allows the user to choose how much decoration to put around each client. The default value is all, meaning that windows include all decorations unless the application removes one or more of them.

The transientDecoration resource allows you to choose the decorations around each transient window. A transient window is a relatively short-lived window, such as a DialogBox. The default value for this resource is menu title resizeh, meaning that transient windows have a title bar with a Window Menu button and resize borders. Even if a decoration is specified by the transientDecoration resource, mwm does not put it around a transient window unless that decoration is also specified by the clientDecoration resource.

The clientDecoration and transientDecoration resources can have more than one value specified at a time:

The clientDecoration resource can have any of the following formats.

To add or remove elements from all classes of clients, the syntax is

Mwm*clientDecoration: value

For example, remove the maximize button from all windows with the following specification in a resource file:

Mwm*clientDecoration: -maximize

To add or remove elements from specific classes of clients, the syntax is

Mwm*Clientclass.clientDecoration: value

For example, to remove the resize handles and the maximize button from all clocks displayed on the screen, use the following specification:

Mwm*XClock.clientDecoration: -resizeh -maximize

To add or remove elements from any client with an unknown class, the syntax is

Mwm*defaults*clientDecoration: value

The transientDecoration resource has the following syntax:

Mwm*transientDecoration: value

For example, to remove the menu button from all transient windows, use the following specification in a resource file:

Mwm*transientDecoration: title resizeh

The iconDecoration resource indicates the parts of an icon that are displayed (see Table 5-10).

When you are using an icon box, the default value for iconDecoration is label image. Without an icon box, the default value of the resource is activelabel label image. For example, use the following specification to eliminate the label part of icons:

Mwm*iconDecoration: image

For window decoration, the Motif Window Manager also has the frameStyle resource, which lets you control the look of the window and its border. Assigning a value of WmRECESSED to this resource makes the window appear to be recessed from its border. Assigning a value of WmSLAB shows a flat window and border.

You can control the size of a window with specifications that match the following format:

Mwm*sizeResource: value

For most applications, sizes are specified in pixels, although some applications use units that make sense for the application. For example, terminal windows are sized in characters and lines rather than in pixels.

The frameBorderWidth resource specifies the width of a client window frame border with shadow elements, but without resize handles. The default value, usually about 5 pixels, is based on the size and resolution of the screen.

The limitResize resource controls the ability to enlarge a window beyond the client's maximized size. The default value of True limits a window's size to no greater than the maximum size specified by the maximumClientSize resource, or the default maximum size assigned by mwm. The value of False allows a window to be resized to any size.

The maximumClientSize resource controls the maximum size of a maximized client. The value of this resource is specified either as width by height, interpreted in terms of the units that the client uses, or with the values vertical or horizontal, which causes the Maximize operation to resize the window only in the specified direction. If this resource is not specified, the size of the screen is the default value.

The maximumMaximumSize resource controls the maximum size of a client window as set by the client. The dimensions are given in pixels. The default value of this resource is twice the screen width and height.

The resizeBorderWidth resource specifies the width of a client window frame border with resize handles and shadow elements. The default value, usually about 10 pixels, is based on the size and resolution of the screen.

The resizeCursors resource indicates whether the resize cursors are displayed when the pointer is in the window resize border. The default value True causes the appropriate resize cursor to appear when the pointer enters a resize handle in the window frame. The value of False prevents resize cursors from being displayed.

You can control the initial placement of client windows with specifications that use the following format:

Mwm*resource: value

Some of the resources for window placement are described in the following text.

The clientAutoPlace resource determines the position of a window when the window has not been given a specific position. The default value of True positions a window with the top left corner of the frame offset horizontally and vertically. The value of False causes the currently configured position of the window to be used. In either case, mwm attempts to place the window so the entire window appears within the boundaries of the screen.

The interactivePlacement resource controls the initial placement of new windows on the screen. The value of True changes the shape of the pointer to an upper-left-corner bracket before a new window is displayed, so that you can choose a position for the window. When the default value of False is used, the window is placed according to its initial configuration attributes or the values of other mwm resources such as clientAutoPlace.

The moveThreshold resource controls the sensitivity of dragging operations. The value of the moveThreshold resource is the number of pixels that the pointer must be moved with a button pressed before a drag operation is initiated. This resource is used to prevent window or icon movement when you unintentionally move the pointer during a click or double-click action. The default value is 4 pixels.

The positionIsFrame resource determines how client window position information is interpreted. When the default value True is used, the position information is relative to the position of the window frame. When the value is False, the position information is relative to the position of the client window itself.

The positionOnScreen resource controls clipping of new windows by screen edges. The default value True causes a window to be placed, if possible, so that it is not clipped. If clipping cannot be avoided, a window is placed so that at least the upper left corner of the window is on the screen. The value of False causes a window to be placed at the requested position even if it is totally off the screen. The iconPinned and clientPinned resources prevent windows from being moved when one of the window manager's virtual desktop capabilities, such as interactive panning, is in use. When the default value False is used, the icon or client window is panned whenever the root window is panned. If the value is True, the icon or client window will not be moved during panning operations.

The showFeedback resource controls when feedback information is displayed. It controls both window position and size feedback during move or resize operations and initial client placement. It also controls window manager DialogBoxes (see Table 5-11).

The value for this resource is a list of names of the feedback options to be enabled or disabled; the names must be separated by a space. If an option is preceded by a - (minus sign), that option is excluded from the list. The sign of the first item in the list determines the initial set of options. If the sign of the first option is a - (minus sign), mwm assumes all options are present and starts subtracting from that set. If the sign of the first option is a + (plus sign) or not specified, mwm starts with no options and builds a list from the resource specification.

For example, you could use the following specification in your .Xdefaults file:

Mwm*showFeedback: placement resize behavior restart

This specification provides feedback for initial client placement and resize and enables DialogBoxes to confirm the restart and set behavior functions. It disables feedback for move operations.

To specify the maximum client size for specific classes of clients, the syntax is

Mwm*Clientclass.maximumClientSize: width×height

For example, to specify that xload clients should be maximized to no more than one sixty-fourth of the size of a 1024×768 display, use the following specification:

Mwm*XLoad.maximumClientSize: 128×96

To specify the maximum client size for any client with an unknown class, the syntax is

Mwm*defaults*maximumClientSize: width×height

Each icon image has maximum and minimum default sizes as well as maximum and minimum allowable sizes. The following two resources control icon image size:

When calculating limits for image size, remember that the width of an icon is the image width plus the icon frame plus the space between icons. The height of an icon is the image height plus the icon frame plus the space between icons. The amount of icon decoration and the size of font used in the icon label also affects the height of the icon.

The window manager sizes an icon depending on the size of the image in relation to the specified maximum and minimum sizes (see Table 5-12).

By default, the window manager places icons in the lower left corner of the workspace. Successive icons are placed in a row proceeding toward the right. Icons are prevented from overlapping by resource specification. An icon is placed in the position it last occupied if no icon is already there. If that position is taken, the icon is placed at the next free location.

The iconAutoPlace resource indicates whether the window manager arranges icons in a particular area of the screen or places each icon at the window location when it is iconified. The value True indicates that icons are arranged in a particular area of the screen, determined by the iconPlacement resource. The value False indicates that an icon is placed at the location of the window when it is iconified. The default is True.

The iconPlacement resource is available only when iconAutoPlace has the value True. The iconPlacement resource specifies the arrangement scheme the window manager uses when placing icons on the workspace. The default value is left bottom (see Table 5-13).

The iconPlacementMargin resource specifies the distance between the edge of the screen and the icons. The default value is equal to the default space between icons.

The resources that place icons use the following format:

Mwm*resource: value

For example, if you want automatic placement of icons starting at the top of the screen and proceeding down the right side, use the following specifications in a resource file:

Mwm*iconPlacement: top right
Mwm*iconAutoPlace: True

The Motif Window Manager allows you to use an icon box to display icons in a separate mwm window. The icon box is a scrollable window that displays icons in rows and columns. The useIconBox resource enables the window manager's icon box facility. The value of True places icons in an icon box. The default value of False places icons on the root window.

The icon box is displayed in a standard window management client frame. Client-specific resources for the icon box can be specified by using iconbox as the client name.

Resources for icon boxes have the following format:

Mwm*iconbox*resource: value

Resources that can be used with the icon box are clientDecoration, windowMenu, and all window resources dealing with color, shadow, and matte.

The iconBoxGeometry resource sets the initial size and placement of the icon box. If the iconBoxGeometry resource is set, the largest dimension of the size determines whether the icons are placed in a row or a column. The default policy is to place icons in rows going from left to right, top to bottom. The value of this resource is a standard window geometry string with the following syntax:

<width>x<height>{+−}<xoffset>{+−}<yoffset>

For example, use the following specification in your .Xdefaults file for an icon box 3 icons wide and 2 icons high:

Mwm*iconBoxGeometry: 3x2

The actual size of the icon box window depends on the iconImageMaximum and iconDecoration resources. By default, mwm places the icon box in the lower left corner with space for six icons in a single row.

Every client window that can be iconified has an icon in the icon box, even when the window is in the normal state. The icon for a client is put into the icon box when the client becomes managed by the window manager, and is removed from the icon box when the client withdraws from being managed.

Icons for windows in the normal state are visually distinct from icons for windows that are iconified. Icons for windows that are iconified look like standalone icons. Icons for windows that are in the normal state appear flat and are optionally grayed out. The value of True for the fadeNormalIcon resource grays out icons for normalized windows. The default value is False.

The text and image attributes of icons in icon boxes are determined in the same way as for standalone icons; that is, by using the iconDecoration resource.

The renderTable resource specifies the style of text characters in the title area, menus, and icon labels. The default font is called fixed, a fixed-width font that does not make adjustments for a particular character's size and shape. The fonts available on your system are usually listed in directories under /usr/lib/X11/fonts. You can set the renderTable resource to any basename of a font listed in the font directories.

You can specify a font for all mwm components by using the following syntax:

Mwm*renderTable: font_name

You can specify a font for a particular mwm component (menu, icon, or client) by using the following syntax:

Mwm*menu*renderTable: font_name

Remember that the size of the font affects the size of the client window frames, icons, and menus. The fonts used by applications managed by mwm are not affected when you set the renderTable resource.

Use the keyboardFocusPolicy resource to specify how a window becomes active and receives keyboard input. The default value for this resource is explicit, which moves the keyboard input into a new window only when the window is explicitly selected. Keyboard input goes to the selected window regardless of the location of the pointer until you select another window for keyboard input. The default focus-selection action is pressing Button 1 in a window. Explicit focus policy is also known as "click-to-type."

The other input focus policy is called pointer. Under this policy, keyboard input is always sent to the window that currently contains the mouse pointer. To change the default input focus policy, use the following specification in your .Xdefaults file:

Mwm*keyboardFocusPolicy: pointer

When the focus policy is set to pointer, the window with the input focus will not automatically be raised to the top of the stack.

The focusAutoRaise resource determines whether the window with input focus is raised. This resource has a default value of True when the keyboard focus is explicit, and a default value of False when the keyboard focus is pointer. If you are using pointer policy and you want the window with input focus to automatically be raised to the top of the stack, use the following specification:

Mwm*focusAutoRaise: True

To avoid flickering in the display while the pointer moves across a number of stacked windows, there is a brief delay before the window with the input focus is raised to the top of the stack. This delay is controlled by the autoRaiseDelay resource. The default is 500 milliseconds.

Dialog widgets display three default buttons. In English-speaking locales, these default buttons generally display the words "Help," "Cancel," and "OK." However, you may customize these buttons to display words appropriate to your locale. To customize these buttons, just specify the appropriate word or words for the XmNmessageString, XmNcancelLabelString, and XmNokLabelString resources.

For example, suppose that you are in a French-speaking locale. In this case, you can customize the dialogs by adding the following lines to your .Xdefaults file:

 Mwm*confirmQuit*messageString:                 Quitter Mwm
 Mwm*confirmQuit*cancelLabelString:             Annuler
 Mwm*confirmQuit*okLabelString:                 Confirmer

! Restart Dialog
! --------------

 Mwm*confirmRestart*messageString:              Redemarrer Mwm
 Mwm*confirmRestart*cancelLabelString:          Annuler
 Mwm*confirmRestart*okLabelString:              Confirmer

! Toggle Default Dialog
! ---------------------

 Mwm*confirmDefaultBehavior*messageString:      Utiliser le Comportement Par Defaut
 Mwm*confirmDefaultBehavior*cancelLabelString:  Annuler
 Mwm*confirmDefaultBehavior*okLabelString:      Confirmer

! Toggle Custom Dialog
! --------------------

 Mwm*confirmCustomBehavior*messageString:       Utiliser le Comportement Personnalise
 Mwm*confirmCustomBehavior*cancelLabelString:   Annuler
 Mwm*confirmCustomBehavior*okLabelString:       Confirmer