Center, top an no move

rwscott identifies a problem with what you want -- multiple applications can fight for the top-most real-estate.

Usually, it is enough for a dialog to remain above its parent window, which mwm, twm, and several other window managers do automatically.

If you have another need, then you need to reconsider your user interface. Some people want a status window constantly displayed in the foreground; that status could perhaps be part of the application`s main window, or it could be brought to the foreground only when some new information is displayed within it.

There are some window managers which do offer an option for designating a window to be in the foreground, but I don`t know how they arbitrate among various applications wanting this service. I am told that fvwm offers this feature. To do this right, you would need window manager cooperation and arbitration.

Center, top an no move

A possible way to do this is to create your widget tree with an overideshell widget as the root since the configuration request for overideridshell will not be intercepted by the window manager. Unfortunately, a side effect of this method is that your window will not have the title bar, min/max buttons and side decorates. No big deal if you really want your window to behave like this, you could create the title bar and other decorates yourself. To make your window always stay on top, you need to handle the VisibilityNotify event, when youe see your window is obscured, then you raise it. Hope this will work for you.

But what if you try to run 2 copies of this application? Your system will be hung up.

Center, top an no move

Sorry, I know it is bad form to reply to something like this, but I`m in the mood )

You are right, I`m sure you always are!! I do not know the type of app, or why you think you need these features. To me, your question sounded like "I really don`t know what I`m doing, but I would like to have absolute control over a users environment. Can you help me?" I could, but your reponse just reinforces my feeling of "I really don`t know what I`m doing" If your app, or reason for needing these features is really valid, you need to be forcing your users to use your window manager. Sorry for being so blunt, but in my opinion, if you really understood the consequences of what you want, you would know which man pages to read to make it happen.

Nuff` said. Good luck....

Center, top an no move

I like Motif`s auto-raising windows, but often lose my dialog boxes underneath the underlying windows, so I can sympathise with your situation.

However, one thing I`ve just noticed, that might help you, is that `transient` windows always seem to stay on top of their associated window, great ! I use Tcl/Tk for my gooey stuff, but I`m sure Motif uses the term `transient` too.

Alternatively, if you`re only running the one application, you might want to run it *instead* of mwm, just replace `exec mwm` with exec your application in your .xinitrc. You won`t have any captions or iconify buttons, and you won`t be able to move your windows around with the mouse, but will appear where you put them and stay there until you remove them. When you exit the application, you`ll also exit X, which is probably acceptable for a custom-built system.

Hope this helps,
Dave.

Center, top an no move

Actually, this isn`t a great suggestion, because applications need the window manager to install colormaps and to arbitrate focus among windows.

Center, top an no move

Thanks dbl

Center, top an no move

You can make the window MODAL to start with. Then you can add an eventhandler for the VisibilityChangeMask. In the callback method you can check the xvisibility state and have you popup method called if the state is obscured (partially or fully).

Center, top an no move

While this behavior is not recommended, the following demonstrates one way of restricting the user`s interaction.

This program displays an information dialog which occupies
the entire screen. This window stays on top and cannot be moved
or lowered. Selecting "Cancel" will terminate this test program.

#include 
#include 
#include 
#include /* For MWM_DECOR_ALL */

/* Create a pushbutton whose callback pops up a dialog box */
main(argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv[];
{
XtAppContext app;
Widget toplevel,
dialog;
XmString str;
Display *display;
Arg args[10];
int decor,
mwm_functions,
ia = 0;

XtSetLanguageProc (NULL, NULL, NULL);

toplevel = XtVaAppInitialize(&app, "Demos", NULL, 0, &argc,
argv, NULL,
XtNmappedWhenManaged, False,
NULL);
XtSetArg (args[ia], XmNautoUnmanage, False); ia++;

/*
* Control what is displayed around the window frame, i.e
* nothing.
*/
decor = 0;
decor &= ~MWM_DECOR_ALL;
XtSetArg (args[ia], XmNmwmDecorations, decor); ia++;

/*
* Control what MWM functions (resize/move/close etc.) are
* available. We don`t want any controls available.
*/
mwm_functions = 0;
mwm_functions &= ~MWM_FUNC_ALL;
XtSetArg (args[ia], XmNmwmFunctions, mwm_functions); ia++;

dialog = XmCreateInformationDialog (toplevel, "notice",
args, ia);
XtAddCallback (dialog, XmNcancelCallback, exit, 0);
XtUnmanageChild (XmMessageBoxGetChild(dialog,
XmDIALOG_OK_BUTTON));
XtUnmanageChild (XmMessageBoxGetChild(dialog,
XmDIALOG_HELP_BUTTON));

display = XtDisplay(dialog);
str = XmStringCreateLocalized ("Here is my message!");
XtVaSetValues (dialog,
XmNmessageString, str,
XmNdialogStyle, XmDIALOG_SYSTEM_MODAL,
XtNwidth,
DisplayWidth(display,
DefaultScreen(display)),
XmNdialogStyle, XmDIALOG_SYSTEM_MODAL,
XtNwidth, DisplayWidth(display,
DefaultScreen(display)),
XtNheight, DisplayHeight(display,
DefaultScreen(display)),
XmNnoResize, True,
NULL);
XmStringFree (str);
XtManageChild (dialog);

/* Realize toplevel (and it`s children). */
XtRealizeWidget (toplevel);

XtPopup (toplevel, XtGrabNone);

XtAppMainLoop (app);

} /* End main(). */