Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

501.0. "Window manager functionality needed" by GSPMO::DIX (I guess I do windows now...) Wed Mar 29 1989 20:00

	I'm working with a customer that is looking for some specific
	capabilities in the window manager and is looking at possibly
	altering/rewriting their own window manager.  Before they get
	too involved in writing their own, I thought it would be a good
	idea to see if the capabilities they need already exist through
	either xlib or toolkit calls.

	The overall project will consist of several VMS processes running
	on a Firefox doing graphics through PHIGS.  The application is all
	written in Ada and may make use of Ada tasking and mailboxes for
	communication.  The detailed design is not cast in concrete yet
	so we're doing research into the best way to implement some things.

	One of the processes running will be a menu process allowing the
	user to request different displays to be brought up.  All displays
	will be running and updating all the time, but will only be seen
	upon a user request to see the display (this is due to tight
	timing requirements).

	The functionality required is of the following types:

	  1) Allow the windows (displays) to be mapped and unmapped by the
	     menu process without having to send a notification to the
	     process showing the display.  Can we have two processes
	     running (creating separate windows) and have one process unmap
	     the window created by the other process?

	  2) Allow the windows to be iconified in the same way as mentioned in
	     #1, except that they don't want icon symbols to appear.  What
	     they would like is that when the user clicks the mouse on a
	     display, the display no longer appears on the screen and there is
	     no icon associated with the display but the process showing the
	     display is still running (in the background).  There will be
	     many displays (eg many icons) and they don't want them to
	     fill up the screen.  Another related question to this might
	     be, is there a way to iconize the icon box?

	  3) They want the application to have control over the stacking
	     order and the prioritization of the windows.

	  4) Can the borders (put on the windows by the window manager) be
	     disabled in order to keep the user from resizing, moving or
	     iconifying the windows?

	  5) Which xlib calls can be made within an application such that the
	     application will not interfere with the window manager?


	If any of this functionality already exists through either xlib or
	the toolkit, could someone point me to the appropriate calls to 
	make, how they would be used, and what they would accomplish.  If
	some of the functionality isn't available, is there a way to alter
	the window manager in order to supply the requested functionality.

	I'd like to keep away from having the window manager altered in any
	way for maintenance, enhancements, future releases, etc.  If anyone
	has an idea of how some of this functionality might be handled
	without touching the window manager, I'm open to suggestions.



				Thanks for any assistance,

					Sandy