Extended Window Manager Hints

X Desktop Group +

DRAFT version 1.2
August 19, 2002

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Non-ICCCM features
3. Root Window Properties (+Related Messages)
4. Other Root Window Messages
5. Application Window Properties
6. Window Manager Protocols
7. Implementation notes
8. References
9. Copyright
10. Contributors
11. Change history

1. Introduction

1.1. Version

This is DRAFT version 1.2 of the Extended Window Manager Hints (EWMH) spec, updated August 19, 2002. +

This spec defines interactions between window managers, applications, +and the utilities that form part of a desktop environment. It builds +on the ICCCM [2], which defines WM (window manager) interactions at a +lower level. The ICCCM does not provide ways to implement many +features that modern desktop users expect. The GNOME and KDE desktop +projects originally developed their own extensions to the ICCCM to +support these features; this spec replaces those custom extensions +with a standardized set of ICCCM additions that any desktop +environment can adopt. +

1.3. Language used in this specification

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", +"SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be +interpreted as described in RFC 2119. +

The key words "Window Manager" refer to a window manager which is adopting this +specification. "Pager" refers to desktop utility applications, including +pagers and taskbars. "Application" refers to other clients. "Clients" refers +to Pagers + Applications ie. all X clients, except for the Window Manager. +

1.4. Prerequisites for adoption of this specification

Window Managers and Clients which aim to fulfil this specification MUST adhere +to the ICCCM on which this specification builds. If this specification +explicitly modifies the ICCCM Window Managers and Clients MUST fulfil these +modifications. +