FVWM: Style related question

[Nikos Leonardos]

Hello all--

I run the application xboard in two different modes: (1) to
connect to a chess server, and (2) to set up a position. I would
like to have a different style for each mode.

One way to do that would be to use the fact that the window name
is different in each mode. It is "xboard" in mode (1) and it is
"xboard: 69.36.243.188" in mode (2). However, this doesn't seem
to be entirely true. I think what happens is that initially (at
the time the style of the window is determined) the window name
_is_ the same.

One way around that, is to use (the obsolete command)
RecaptureWindow after the window name has changed. I don't like
this because of the extra keystrokes I need to do.

I would like to do that automatically, say through an
fvwm-function that calls xboard and also sets the appropriate
style. I tried something like the following, but it didn't work.

DestroyFunc FvwmFics
AddToFunc FvwmFics
+ I Exec exec $[TERM] -e /usr/games/bin/xboard -ics -icshost 69.36.243.188
+ I Wait "xboard: 69.36.243.188"
+ I All ("xboard: 69.36.243.188") WindowStyle NeverFocus, Title
+ I UpdateStyles

Thank you in advance for your time.
--Nikos

PS I use fvwm 2.5.28.

[d***@verizon.net]

Post by Nikos Leonardos
Hello all--
I run the application xboard in two different modes: (1) to
connect to a chess server, and (2) to set up a position. I would
like to have a different style for each mode.
One way to do that would be to use the fact that the window name
is different in each mode. It is "xboard" in mode (1) and it is
"xboard: 69.36.243.188" in mode (2). However, this doesn't seem
to be entirely true. I think what happens is that initially (at
the time the style of the window is determined) the window name
_is_ the same.
One way around that, is to use (the obsolete command)
RecaptureWindow after the window name has changed. I don't like
this because of the extra keystrokes I need to do.
I would like to do that automatically, say through an
fvwm-function that calls xboard and also sets the appropriate
style. I tried something like the following, but it didn't work.
DestroyFunc FvwmFics
AddToFunc FvwmFics
+ I Exec exec $[TERM] -e /usr/games/bin/xboard -ics -icshost 69.36.243.188
+ I Wait "xboard: 69.36.243.188"
+ I All ("xboard: 69.36.243.188") WindowStyle NeverFocus, Title
+ I UpdateStyles
Thank you in advance for your time.

Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.

I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

[Nikos Leonardos]

Post by d***@verizon.net
Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.
I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

Thanks Dan! It's funny, but after seeing your reply, I tried

# xboard -name myname

and the resource of the window was set to myname. I'm not sure
this is correct behaviour of xboard (I think -name is supposed
to do something else), but it works for now.

Any better solutions would be appreciated.

--Nikos

[d***@verizon.net]

Post by Nikos Leonardos

Post by d***@verizon.net
Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.
I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

Thanks Dan! It's funny, but after seeing your reply, I tried
# xboard -name myname
and the resource of the window was set to myname. I'm not sure
this is correct behaviour of xboard (I think -name is supposed
to do something else), but it works for now.
Any better solutions would be appreciated.

I missed it in the docs but perhaps the toolkit they are using
supplied it and they weren't aware. Or maybe I just missed it.

Anyway using -name is the classical, preferred way to go.

I don't think anything else could qualify as better.

[Thomas Adam]

Post by Nikos Leonardos

Post by d***@verizon.net
Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.
I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

Thanks Dan! It's funny, but after seeing your reply, I tried
# xboard -name myname
and the resource of the window was set to myname. I'm not sure
this is correct behaviour of xboard (I think -name is supposed
to do something else), but it works for now.

But again, note my previous email. Per the xboard man page:

-wname <full name>
-bname <full name>
-name <full name>
-oppname <full name>
The full name of White, Black, yourself or your opponent.

Unfortunately, this is not the option per most other applications to set
the name of the window, which is mildly irritating. If this is setting the
name of the window to whatever you enter here, that's a coincidence, not
intended behaviour.

I've patched xboard before. I think I might take a look over the weekend to
see how difficult it would be to add this option as I'm surprised it's
missing.

-- Thomas Adam

[d***@verizon.net]

Post by Thomas Adam

Post by Nikos Leonardos

Post by d***@verizon.net
Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.
I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

Thanks Dan! It's funny, but after seeing your reply, I tried
# xboard -name myname
and the resource of the window was set to myname. I'm not sure
this is correct behaviour of xboard (I think -name is supposed
to do something else), but it works for now.

-wname <full name>
-bname <full name>
-name <full name>
-oppname <full name>
The full name of White, Black, yourself or your opponent.
Unfortunately, this is not the option per most other applications to set
the name of the window, which is mildly irritating. If this is setting the
name of the window to whatever you enter here, that's a coincidence, not
intended behaviour.
I've patched xboard before. I think I might take a look over the weekend to
see how difficult it would be to add this option as I'm surprised it's
missing.

Tom,

I saw those options but they are listed under the cmail program.
Still, it could be that -name is meant to be something else and
works by coincidence.

[Thomas Adam]

Post by d***@verizon.net

Post by Thomas Adam

Post by Nikos Leonardos

Post by d***@verizon.net
Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.
I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

Thanks Dan! It's funny, but after seeing your reply, I tried
# xboard -name myname
and the resource of the window was set to myname. I'm not sure
this is correct behaviour of xboard (I think -name is supposed
to do something else), but it works for now.

-wname <full name>
-bname <full name>
-name <full name>
-oppname <full name>
The full name of White, Black, yourself or your opponent.
Unfortunately, this is not the option per most other applications to set
the name of the window, which is mildly irritating. If this is setting the
name of the window to whatever you enter here, that's a coincidence, not
intended behaviour.
I've patched xboard before. I think I might take a look over the weekend to
see how difficult it would be to add this option as I'm surprised it's
missing.

Tom,
I saw those options but they are listed under the cmail program.
Still, it could be that -name is meant to be something else and
works by coincidence.

You're right -- the documentation for Xboard is misleading. It shouldn't
group "-name" anywhere near cmail options in the manpage. The "-name"
option goes straight through to the underlying Xt calls, which I would have
hoped.

I had to use strace to prove it though. I'll submit a documentation fix
upstream.

-- Thomas Adam

[Nikos Leonardos]

Post by Thomas Adam

Post by d***@verizon.net

Post by Thomas Adam

Post by Nikos Leonardos

Post by d***@verizon.net
Perhaps the xboard developers could be persuaded to add a -name or
-wmname type option.
I don't think I saw a complete list of their X Resources.
Perhaps there is something that can be set that way.

Thanks Dan! It's funny, but after seeing your reply, I tried
# xboard -name myname
and the resource of the window was set to myname. I'm not sure
this is correct behaviour of xboard (I think -name is supposed
to do something else), but it works for now.

-wname <full name>
-bname <full name>
-name <full name>
-oppname <full name>
The full name of White, Black, yourself or your opponent.
Unfortunately, this is not the option per most other applications to set
the name of the window, which is mildly irritating. If this is setting the
name of the window to whatever you enter here, that's a coincidence, not
intended behaviour.
I've patched xboard before. I think I might take a look over the weekend to
see how difficult it would be to add this option as I'm surprised it's
missing.

Tom,
I saw those options but they are listed under the cmail program.
Still, it could be that -name is meant to be something else and
works by coincidence.

You're right -- the documentation for Xboard is misleading. It shouldn't
group "-name" anywhere near cmail options in the manpage. The "-name"
option goes straight through to the underlying Xt calls, which I would have
hoped.
I had to use strace to prove it though. I'll submit a documentation fix
upstream.

Since you are taking some interest in this, I should say that I
emailed Dan Espen's suggestion (about a -wmname option) to the
developers of xboard. I got the following reply:

"Well, the -name option is not one that we defined ourselves in
XBoard. So I suppose it is a general X-application option. And
I would not be surprised if it is intended for exactly the
purpose you use it for."

--Nikos

PS Thank you Thomas for your previous reply with the
FvwmEvents-solution to my question.

[Thomas Adam]

Post by Nikos Leonardos
One way to do that would be to use the fact that the window name
is different in each mode. It is "xboard" in mode (1) and it is
"xboard: 69.36.243.188" in mode (2). However, this doesn't seem
to be entirely true. I think what happens is that initially (at
the time the style of the window is determined) the window name
_is_ the same.

Quite possibly it is for the resource and class, yes. You cannot change the
class name of a window once it has left the Withdrawn state. The window
name is free to change, and in the case of a window title denoting the IP
address of the server the client is connecting to, it's more than likely
only setting its WM_NAME property once it has established it has a
connection to the server. You can verify this using "xprop -spy" and such
if you really wanted to, although I suspect such things are only academic
where you're concerned.

Post by Nikos Leonardos
One way around that, is to use (the obsolete command)
RecaptureWindow after the window name has changed. I don't like
this because of the extra keystrokes I need to do.

What makes you think you even need to use it? I would bet any money you
don't, and I would go as far as to suggest whichever solution you're using
is causing the problem with a recapture more than anything else. Even if
the title of the window did change, that won't stop you from using solutions
like this (I'm assuming the class name of this application is "XBoard", you
can use FvwmIdent/xprop/xwininfo to find out):

DestroyModuleConfig FE:*
*FE: add_window somefunction

AddToFunc StartFunction I Module FvwmEvent FE

DestroyFunc somefunction
AddToFunc somefunction
+ I All (XBoard, !State 1) Next (XBoard) WindowStyle State 1
+ I TestRc (NoMatch) ThisWindow (XBoard) dosomethingwithnewwindow

Obviously, "dosomethingwithnewwindow" is whatever you wanted to have happen
with the other window matching the XBoard class name, but which was somehow
different to the first instance of the window already matched, because we've
assigned it a window state of "1" in this case. Admittedly it's not very
scientific, so you might need to do more complex things here, but the
general ethos shown above should be enough to give you ideas.

XBoard used to be linked against Xt directly which would have made setting
the window name directly more easier via resources. But ISTR upstream are
now using GTK which sucks for Xboard IMO. Still, lobby them to add such an
option, would you? It would be a trivial addition. Relying on the window
title to change through certain options where those options might only
change the window title as a result of the current state of the program --
and where those options are not solely responsible for changing the window
title, is only going to stop working a lot sooner in the future, to be
honest.

Now, with all of the above said, this is another reason why I wrote the
{Icon,Title}Format code which is currently sat in CVS, but will form part of
the 2.6.3 release at the end of this month. With that, you'll be able to do
things like this:

Style XBoard InitialMapCommand checkwindow

DestroyFunc checkwindow
AddToFunc checkwindow
# If this is the first window...
+ I None (XBoard, ...) WindowStyle TitleFormat SomeSpecialName
+ I Next (!"SomeSpecialName") WindowStyle TitleFormat ...

Note that you can embellish this with TestRC (...) and what have you to make
it more sophisticated. The nice thing about InitialMapCommand and style
lines is they run in the named window context of the matched window, without
needing to do superfluous checks which you've already seen with my examples
above using FvwmEvent.

Post by Nikos Leonardos
I would like to do that automatically, say through an
fvwm-function that calls xboard and also sets the appropriate
style. I tried something like the following, but it didn't work.
DestroyFunc FvwmFics
AddToFunc FvwmFics
+ I Exec exec $[TERM] -e /usr/games/bin/xboard -ics -icshost 69.36.243.188
+ I Wait "xboard: 69.36.243.188"
+ I All ("xboard: 69.36.243.188") WindowStyle NeverFocus, Title

See above. And as I've mentioned very recently on this list, the use of
"All" here, when you mean *next*, is something to heed.

Post by Nikos Leonardos
+ I UpdateStyles

Not needed anymore. Please also use 2.6.2, since the version of FVWM you
list is ancient in development terms.

-- Thomas Adam