FvwmButtons
- the FVWM buttonbox module
SYNOPSIS
FvwmButtons is spawned by fvwm, so no command line invoca-
tion will work.
DESCRIPTION
The FvwmButtons module provides a window of buttons which
sits on the X terminal's root window. The user can press
the buttons at any time, and trigger invocation of a user-
specified command by the window manager. FvwmButtons only
works when fvwm is used as the window manager.
The buttonbox can be of any configuration or geometry, and
can have monochrome or color icons to represent the
actions which would be invoked.
INITIALIZATION
During initialization, FvwmButtons will search for a con-
figuration file which describes the buttonbox geometry,
color, icons, and actions. The format of this files will
be described later. The configuration file will be the one
which fvwm used during its initialization.
To use FvwmButtons with several different configurations,
you can invoke FvwmButtons with an optional parameter,
which it will use as its name instead (e.g "Module Fvwm-
Buttons SomeButtons"). SomeButtons will then read only
the lines in the configuration file starting with "*Some-
Buttons", and not the lines belonging to FvwmButtons.
You can also specify an optional configuration file to use
instead of the default fvwm configuration file, by giving
a second argument which is a filename. This will override
the setting "*FvwmButtonsFile", see below.
INVOCATION
FvwmButtons can be invoked by inserting the line 'Module
FvwmButtons' in the .fvwmrc file. This should be placed in
the InitFunction if FvwmButtons is to be spawned during
fvwm's initialization, or can be bound to a menu or mouse
button or keystroke to invoke it later. Fvwm will search
directory specified in the ModulePath configuration option
to attempt to locate FvwmButtons.
CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
The following options int the .fvwmrc file are understood
by FvwmButtons:
Specifies the background color for the buttons. A
relief and a shadow color will also be calculated
from this.
*FvwmButtonsColumns columns
Specifies the number of columns of buttons to be
created. If unspecified, the number of columns will
be set to the number of buttons requested, divided
by the number of rows. If both the rows and columns
are specified, but do not specify as many buttons
as are defined, then the users columns specifica-
tion will be ignored.
*FvwmButtonsFile filename
Specifies that the configuration for this button is
found in the file filename, which will have to be
given with full pathname, or is assumed to be in
fvwm's startup directory. The configuration file is
in the same format as fvwm's configuration file,
but each line is read as if prefixed by "*FvwmBut-
tons". Comments are given by starting a line with
"#", line continuation is done by ending a line
with a "\".
*FvwmButtonsFont font
Specifies the font to be used for labeling the but-
tons, or None.
*FvwmButtonsFore color
Specifies the color used for button label text and
monochrome icons.
*FvwmButtonsFrame width
Specifies the width of the relief around each but-
ton. If this is given as a negative number, the
relief will at all times be the inverse of the nor-
mal relief. In effect, you will get a sunken but-
ton, which is raised when activated.
*FvwmButtonsGeometry geometry
Specifies the FvwmButtons window location. The size
should not be specified, as FvwmButtons automati-
cally chooses a size which gracefully accomodates
all its buttons. The geometry is a standard X11
window geometry specification.
*FvwmButtonsPadding width height
The amount of free space between the relief of the
button and its contents is normally 2 pixels to the
sides and 4 pixels above and below, except for
swallowed windows and containers, which are not
padded at all, unless given specific orders. This
height pixels.
*FvwmButtonsPixmap pixmapfile
Specifies a background pixmap to use. Specify
"none" for a transparent background.
*FvwmButtonsRows rows
Specifies the number of rows of buttons to be cre-
ated. If unspecified, 2 rows will be used.
*FvwmButtons(options) [title icon command]
Specifies the contents of a button in the button-
box. The following options, separated by commas or
whitespace, can be given a button:
widthxheight
The button will be width times the normal button
width and height times the normal button height.
Action [(options)] command
Specifies an fvwm command to be executed when the
button is activated by pressing return or a mouse
button. If command contains whitespace it must be
quoted. The current options are:
Mouse n - this action is only executed for mouse
button n. One actions can be defined for each
mouse button, in addition to the general action.
Back color
Specifies the background color to be used drawing
this box. A relief color and a shadow color will
also be calculated from this.
Container [(options)]
Specifies that this button will contain a miniature
buttonbox, more or less equivalent to swallowing
another FvwmButtons module. The options are the
same as can be given for a single button, but they
affect all the contained buttons. Options available
for this use are Back, Font, Fore, Frame and
Padding. Flags for Title and Swallow options can be
set with Title(flags) and Swallow(flags. You
should also specify either "Columns width" or "Rows
height", or "Rows 2" will be assumed for purpose of
arranging the buttons inside the container. For an
example, see the Sample configuration section.
The container button itself (separate from the con-
tents) can take format options like Frame and
Padding, and commands can be bound to it. This
means you can make a sensitive relief around a con-
Beep,\
Container(Frame 1))
Typically you will want to at least give the con-
tainer a size setting widthxheight.
End Specifies that no more buttons are defined for the
current container, and further buttons will be put
in the container's parent. This option should be
given on a line by itself, i.e
*FvwmButtons(End)
Font fontname
Specifies that the font fontname is to be used for
labeling this button.
Fore color
Specifies a color of the title and monochrome icons
in this button.
Frame width
The relief of the button will be width pixels wide.
If width is given as a negative number, the relief
will at all times be the inverse of the normal
relief. In effect, you will get a sunken button,
which is raised when activated.
Icon filename
The name of an X11 bitmap file or XPM color icon
file, containing the icon to display on the button.
FvwmButtons will search through the path specified
in the fvwm IconPath or PixmapPath configuration
items to find the icon file.
NoSize
This option specifies that this button will not be
considered at all when making the initial calcula-
tions of buttonsizes. Useful for the odd button
that gets just a couple of pixels to large to keep
in line, and therefor blows up your whole button-
box. "NoSize" is equivalent to "Size 0 0".
Padding width height
The amount of free space between the relief of the
button and its contents is normally 2 pixels to the
sides and 4 pixels above and below, except for
swallowed windows and containers, which are by
default not padded at all. This option sets the
horizontal padding to width and the vertical
padding to height.
Specifies that the contents of this button will
require width by height pixels, regardless of what
size FvwmButtons calculates from the icon and the
title. A buttonbar with only swallowed windows will
not get very large without this option specified,
as FvwmButtons does not consider sizes for swallow-
ing buttons. Note that this option gives the mini-
mum space assured; other buttons might require the
buttonbox to use larger sizes.
Swallow [(flags)] hangon command
Causes FvwmButtons to execute command, and when a
window matching the name hangon appears, it is cap-
tured and swallowed into this button. An example:
*FvwmButtons(Swallow XClock 'Exec xclock &')
will take the first window whose name, class or
resource is "XClock" and display it in the button.
Modules can be swallowed by specifying the module
instead of 'Exec whatever', like:
*FvwmButtons(Swallow "FvwmPager" "FvwmPager 0 0")
The flags that can be given to swallow are:
NoClose / Close - Specifies whether the swallowed
program in this button will be unswallowed or
closed when FvwmButtons exit cleanly. "NoClose" can
be combined with "UseOld" to have windows survive
restart of windowmanager. The default setting is
"Close".
NoHints / Hints - Specifies whether hints from the
swallowed program in this button will be ignored or
not, useful in forcing a window to resize itself to
fit its button. The default value is "Hints".
NoKill / Kill - Specifies whether the swallowed
program will be closed by killing it or by sending
a message to it. This can be useful in ending pro-
grams that doesn't accept window manager protocol.
The default value is "NoKill". This has no effect
if "NoClose" is specified.
NoRespawn / Respawn - Specifies whether the swal-
lowed program is to be respawn if it dies. If
"Respawn" is specified, the program will be
respawned using the original command. Use this
option with care, the program might have a very
legitimate reason to die.
hangon name before spawning one itself with com-
mand. The default value is "NoOld". "UseOld" can
be combined with "NoKill" to have windows survive
restart of windowmanager. If you want FvwmButtons
to swallow an old window, and not spawn one itself
if failing, let the command be "Nop":
*FvwmButtons(Swallow (UseOld) "Console" Nop)
If you want to be able to start it yourself, com-
bine it with an action:
*FvwmButtons(Swallow (UseOld) "Console" Nop, \
Action `Exec "Console" console &`)
NoTitle / UseTitle - Specifies whether the title of
the button will be taken from the swallowed win-
dow's title or not. If "UseTitle" is given, the
title on the button will change dynamically to
reflect the window name. The default is "NoTitle".
Title [(options)] name
Specifies the title which will be written on the
button. Whitespace can be included in the title by
quoting it. If a title at any time is to long for
its buttons, characters are chopped of one at a
time until it fits. If justify is "Right", the
head is removed, otherwise its tail is removed.
These options can be given to Title:
Center - The title will be centered horizontally.
This is the default.
Left - The title will be justified to the left
side.
Right - The title will be justified to the right
side.
Side - This will cause the title to appear on the
right hand side of any icon or swallowed window,
instead of below it which is the default. If you
use small icons, and combine this with the "Left"
option, you can get a look similar to fvwm's menus.
Legacy fields [title icon command]
These fields are kept for compatibility with previ-
ous versions of FvwmButtons, and their use is dis-
couraged. The title field is similar to the option
Title name. If the title field is "-", no title
will be displayed. The icon field is similar to
similar to the option Action command or alterna-
tively Swallow "hangon" command.
The command
Any fvwm command is recognized by FvwmButtons. See
fvwm(1) for more info on this. The Exec command has
a small extension when used in Actions, its syntax
is here:
Exec ["hangon"] command
When FvwmButtons finds such an Exec command, the
button will remain pushed in until a window whose
name or class matches the qouted portion of the
command is encountered. This is intended to provide
visual feedback to the user that the action he has
requested will be performed. If the qouted portion
contains no characters, then the button will pop
out immediately. Note that users can continue
pressing the button, and re-executing the command,
even when it looks "pressed in."
Quoting
Any string which contains whitespace must be
quoted. This include commands. Quoting can be done
with any of the three quotation characters; single
quote:
'This is a "quote"',
double quote:
"It's another `quote'",
and backquote:
`This is a strange quote`.
The backquoting is purposeful if you use a prepro-
cessor like FvwmCpp and want it to get into your
commands, like this:
#define BG gray60
*FvwmButtons(Swallow "xload" `Exec xload -bg BG
&`)
ARRANGEMENT ALGORITHM
FvwmButtons tries to arrange its buttons as best it can,
by using recursively, on each container including the but-
tonbox itself, the following algorithm.
First it calculates the number of button unit areas
it will need, by adding the width times the height
in buttons of each button. Containers are for the
moment considered a normal button. Then it consid-
ers the given rows and columns arguments. If the
number of rows is given, it will calculate how many
columns are needed, and stick to that, unless
columns is larger, in which case you will get some
empty space at the bottom of the buttonbox. If the
number of columns is given, it calculates how many
rows it needs to fit all the buttons. If neither
is given, it assumes you want two rows, and finds
the number of columns from that.
Shuffling buttons
Now it has a large enough area to place the buttons
in, all that is left is to place them right. The
algorithm assumes the buttons are all of unit size,
and places them in a left to right, top to bottom
western fashion. Then it looks at button 1, and
considers: Is this button larger than normal? If
it isn't, the same thing is done for the next but-
tons. When a button is found that is larger than
1x1, space must be provided for it. The algorithm
assumes it is in the right coordinate, its upper
left corner should be unchanged. It then "slides"
away the buttons that occupies the places needed
for this button. The buttons are slid to the right,
wrapping around to the next line. When all the
space has been cleared for this button the algo-
rithm continues with the next button, doing the
same.
Containers
Containers are arranged by the same algorithm, in
fact they are shuffled recursively as the algorithm
finds them.
Clarifying example
An example might be useful here: Suppose you have 6
buttons, all unit sized except number two, which is
2x2. This makes for 5 times 1 plus 1 times 4 equals
9 unit buttons total area. Assume you have
requested 3 columns.
1) +---+---+---+ 2) +---+---+---+ 3) +---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | 3 | | 1 | 2 | | | 1 | 2 | |
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 4 | 5 | 6 | | 3 | 4 | 5 | | 3 | | 4 |
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| | | 6 | | | 5 | 6 | |
+-----------+ +---+-------+ +---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | | | 1 | |
+---+---+---+ +---+ 2 |
| 3 | | | | 3 | |
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
| 4 | 5 | 6 | | 4 | 5 | 6 |
+---+---+---+ +---+---+---+
The algorithm starts as in figure 1. The first
large button it finds is number 2, and it will try
to free up each of the unit areas it occupies, in a
left to right, top to bottom order. First it sees
that button 3 is in its way, and it shifts all the
buttons, giving figure 2. Now it finds that button
4 is in the way, so button 4 to 6 are shifted,
yielding figure 3. Button 4 is still barring
progress, so it shifts button 4 to 6 once more,
ending up at figure 4. Now all the button units
required by button 2 are freed, and button 2 can be
given its real size.
What size will the buttons be?
When FvwmButtons has read the icons and fonts that
are required by its configuration, it can find out
which size is needed for every non-swallowing but-
ton. The unit button size of a container is set to
be large enough to hold the largest button in it
without squeezing it. Swallowed windows are simple
expected to be comfortable with the buttonsize they
get from this scheme. If a particular configuration
requires more space for a swallowed window, it can
be set in that button's configuration line using
the option "Size width height". This will tell
FvwmButtons to give this button at least width by
height pixels inside the relief and padding.
SAMPLE CONFIGURATION
The following are excepts from a .fvwmrc file which
describe FvwmButtons initialization commands:
##########################################################
# Load any modules which should be started during fvwm
# initialization
ModulePath /usr/lib/X11/fvwm:/usr/bin/X11
# Make sure FvwmButtons is always there.
AddToFunc InitFunction "I" Module FvwmButtons
AddToFunc RestartFunction "I" Module FvwmButtons
# Make it titlebar-less, sticky, and give it an icon
*FvwmButtonsFore Black
*FvwmButtonsBack rgb:90/80/90
*FvwmButtonsGeometry -135-5
*FvwmButtonsRows 1
*FvwmButtonsFont -*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-12-*
*FvwmButtonsPadding 2 2
*FvwmButtons(Title Resize,Icon resize.xpm ,Action Resize)
*FvwmButtons(Title Move ,Icon arrows2.xpm,Action Move )
*FvwmButtons(Title Lower ,Icon Down ,Action Lower )
*FvwmButtons(Title Raise ,Icon Up ,Action Raise )
*FvwmButtons(Title Kill ,Icon bomb.xpm ,Action Destroy)
*FvwmButtons(1x1,Container(Rows 3,Frame 1))
*FvwmButtons(Title Dopey ,Action \
`Exec "big_win" xterm -T big_win -geometry 80x50 &`)
*FvwmButtons(Title Snoopy, Font fixed, Action \
`Exec "small_win" xterm -T small_win &`)
*FvwmButtons(Title Smokin')
*FvwmButtons(End)
*FvwmButtons(Title Xcalc, Icon rcalc.xpm,\
Action `Exec "Calculator" xcalc &`)
*FvwmButtons(Title XMag, Icon magnifying_glass2.xpm,\
Action `Exec "xmag" xmag &`)
*FvwmButtons(Title Mail, Icon mail2.xpm,\
Action `Exec "xmh" xmh &`)
*FvwmButtons(4x1, Swallow "FvwmPager" `FvwmPager 0 3`\
Frame 3)
*FvwmButtons(Swallow(UseOld,NoKill) "xload15" `Exec xload\
-title xload15 -nolabel -bg rgb:90/80/90 -update 15 &`)
The last lines are a little tricky - one spawns an Fvwm-
Pager module, and captures it to display in a quadruple
width button. is used, the Pager will be as big as possi-
ble within the button's relief.
The final line is even more magic. Note the combination of
UseOld and NoKill, which will try to swallow an existing
window with the name "xload15" when starting up (if fail-
ing: starting one with the specified command), which is
unswallowed when ending FvwmButtons.
The color specification rgb:90/80/90 is actually the most
correct way of specifying independent colors in X, and
should be used instead of the older #908090. If the latter
specification is used in your configuration file, you
should be sure to escape the hash in any of the commands
which will be executed, or fvwm will consider the rest of
The FvwmButtons program, and the concept for interfacing
this module to the Window Manager, are all original work
by Robert Nation
Copyright 1993, Robert Nation. No guarantees or warranties
or anything are provided or implied in any way whatsoever.
Use this program at your own risk. Permission to use this
program for any purpose is given, as long as the copyright
is kept intact.
Further modifications and patching by Jarl Totland, copy-
right 1996. The statement above still applies.
AUTHOR
Robert Nation. Somewhat enhanced by Jarl Totland.
Man(1) output converted with
man2html