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How do I disable the Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons from my application's Window? 19-Dec-00 14:00 GMT Question: I want to disable the Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons from my application's Window. How can I do that? Configuring the Window Manager Decorations Configuring the Window Manager Menu Caveat Intercepting the Window Manager Close Operation Preventing Window Manager Shell Destruction This can be done, but the code to do it will partly be window manager specific. Under the assumption that you are running a Motif-compliant window manager (Mwm, CDE dtwm, etc), then the task is performed in two stages. Configuring the Window Manager Decorations Firstly, the window manager decorations are controlled through the XmNmwmDecorations resource of the shell. This is a mask formed by combining the following values: #include <Xm/MwmUtil.h> MWM_DECOR_ALL MWM_DECOR_BORDER MWM_DECOR_MINIMIZE MWM_DECOR_MAXIMIZE MWM_DECOR_TITLE MWM_DECOR_MENU MWM_DECOR_RESIZEH For example, to remove the maximize and minimize buttons, the following code will do the trick: extern Widget shell; XtVaSetValues (shell, XmNmwmDecorations, MWM_DECOR_ALL | MWM_DECOR_MAXIMIZE | MWM_DECOR_MINIMIZE, NULL); Configuring the Window Manager Menu Secondly, the contents of the menu is controlled through the XmNmwmFunctions resource of the shell. This is also a mask, formed from the following values: #include <Xm/MwmUtil.h> MWM_FUNC_ALL MWM_FUNC_RESIZE MWM_FUNC_MOVE MWM_FUNC_MINIMIZE MWM_FUNC_MAXIMIZE MWM_FUNC_CLOSE For example, the following code removes the Close option from the menu: extern Widget shell; XtVaSetValues (shell, XmNmwmFunctions, MWM_FUNC_ALL | MWM_FUNC_CLOSE, NULL); Note that in the specified question requirements, you probably also want to remove the menu maximize/minimize options for consistency, otherwise the user can still maximize/minimize the application using the menu options, even though you have removed the window manager decoration buttons. The following code also removes the maximize, minimize menu entries: extern Widget shell; XtVaSetValues (shell, XmNmwmFunctions, MWM_FUNC_ALL | MWM_FUNC_CLOSE | MWM_FUNC_MAXIMIZE | MWM_FUNC_MINIMIZE, NULL); Caveat Certain Mwm decorations/menu items which you may want to configure at the shell might get overridden by a BulletinBoard child, particularly if the BulletinBoard has XmNnoResize set to True. The Resize menu entry is affected by this. The specific requirements here however should not be affected. If you are running another non-Mwm compliant window manager, you will need to get hold of the documentation for the window manager concerned. This time, you will probably need to set X resources for your application rather than performing the changes in code via shell resources, although you can write window-manager specific code if you are prepared to play round with code which directly manipulates Window Properties. Further, all sorts of shell resources in general might have little effect, depending on the level of ICCCM compliance for the window manager concerned. You should be aware that certain things are implemented in terms of hints to the window manager: the manager is free to accept, ignore, or modify the request in whatever way it sees fit in keeping with its general layout/stacking/decoration policies. This is particularly true of certain resources for the shell widgets. Indeed, although some shell resources are normal hints which any ICCCM-compliant window manager should implement, there are also window manager-specific hints which only the window manager concerned knows how to interpret. Intercepting the Window Manager Close Operation In the given example, I would be inclined to also intercept the Close operation from the window manager, just in case the request to remove the menu entry fails to have the desired effect. The following routine installs a callback which will be invoked when the user uses the window manager Close menu entry: /* Install a Window Manager Close Callback */ #include <Xm/Xm.h> #ifndef _NO_PROTO Boolean WM_set_close_callback(Widget shell, void (*callback)(Widget, XtPointer, XtPointer), XtPointer client_data) #else /* _NO_PROTO */ Boolean WM_set_close_callback(shell, callback, client_data) Widget shell ; void (*callback)() ; XtPointer client_data ; #endif /* _NO_PROTO */ { #ifndef _NO_PROTO extern Atom XmInternAtom(Display *, char *, Boolean) ; #else /* _NO_PROTO */ extern Atom XmInternAtom() ; #endif /* _NO_PROTO */ Display *display = (Display *) 0 ; Atom property = (Atom) 0 ; Atom protocol = (Atom) 0 ; if (shell == (Widget) 0) { return False ; } if ((display = XtDisplay(shell)) == (Display *) 0) { return False ; } /* Retrieve Window Manager Protocol Property */ if ((property = XmInternAtom(display, "WM_PROTOCOLS", False)) == (Atom) 0) { return False ; } /* Retrieve Window Manager Delete Window Property */ if ((protocol = XmInternAtom(display, "WM_DELETE_WINDOW", True)) == (Atom) 0) { return False ; } /* Ensure that Shell has the Delete Window Property */ /* NB: Necessary since some Window managers are not */ /* Fully XWM Compilant (olwm for instance is not) */ XmAddProtocols(shell, property, &protocol, 1) ; /* Now add our callback into the Protocol Callback List */ XmAddProtocolCallback(shell, property, protocol, callback, client_data) ; return True ; } What the callback does is application -specific, but if all that you want is to stop the window manager menu having effect, then the callback can do precisely nothing. Preventing Window Manager Shell Destruction Lastly, I would also make sure that the XmNdeleteResponse for the shell was appropriately set. That is, the value XmDESTROY might be dangerous to the application, so I would consider changing this to XmDO_NOTHING or XmUNMAP depending on the effect I required. This will prevent the window manager from destroying our dialog in response to a rogue Close request: the application remains in control of this critical operation.   Sponsored by X-Designer - The Leading X/Motif GUI Builder - Click to download a FREE evaluation   Goto top of page