1XWININFO(1) General Commands Manual XWININFO(1)
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6 xwininfo - window information utility for X
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9 xwininfo [-help] [-id id] [-root] [-name name] [-int] [-children]
10 [-tree] [-stats] [-bits] [-events] [-size] [-wm] [-shape] [-frame]
11 [-all] [-english] [-metric] [-display display] [-version]
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14 Xwininfo is a utility for displaying information about windows. Vari‐
15 ous information is displayed depending on which options are selected.
16 If no options are chosen, -stats is assumed.
17 The user has the option of selecting the target window with the mouse
19 (by clicking any mouse button in the desired window) or by specifying
20 its window id on the command line with the -id option. Or instead of
21 specifying the window by its id number, the -name option may be used to
22 specify which window is desired by name. There is also a special -root
23 option to quickly obtain information on the screen's root window.
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26 -help Print out the `Usage:' command syntax summary.
27 -id id This option allows the user to specify a target window id on
29 the command line rather than using the mouse to select the tar‐
30 get window. This is very useful in debugging X applications
31 where the target window is not mapped to the screen or where
32 the use of the mouse might be impossible or interfere with the
33 application.
34 -name name
36 This option allows the user to specify that the window named
37 name is the target window on the command line rather than using
38 the mouse to select the target window.
39 -root This option specifies that X's root window is the target win‐
41 dow. This is useful in situations where the root window is
42 completely obscured.
43 -int This option specifies that all X window ids should be displayed
45 as integer values. The default is to display them as hexadeci‐
46 mal values.
47 -children
49 This option causes the root, parent, and children windows' ids
50 and names of the selected window to be displayed.
51 -tree This option is like -children but displays all children recur‐
53 sively.
54 -stats This option causes the display of various attributes pertaining
56 to the location and appearance of the selected window. Infor‐
57 mation displayed includes the location of the window, its width
58 and height, its depth, border width, visual id and class, col‐
59 ormap id if any, map state, backing-store hint, and location of
60 the corners.
61 -bits This option causes the display of various attributes pertaining
63 to the selected window's raw bits and how the selected window
64 is to be stored. Displayed information includes the selected
65 window's bit gravity, window gravity, backing-store hint, back‐
66 ing-planes value, backing pixel, and whether or not the window
67 has save-under set.
68 -events This option causes the selected window's event masks to be dis‐
70 played. Both the event mask of events wanted by some client
71 and the event mask of events not to propagate are displayed.
72 -size This option causes the selected window's sizing hints to be
74 displayed. Displayed information includes: for both the normal
75 size hints and the zoom size hints, the user supplied location
76 if any; the program supplied location if any; the user supplied
77 size if any; the program supplied size if any; the minimum size
78 if any; the maximum size if any; the resize increments if any;
79 and the minimum and maximum aspect ratios if any.
80 -wm This option causes the selected window's window manager hints
82 to be displayed. Information displayed may include whether or
83 not the application accepts input, what the window's icon win‐
84 dow # and name is, where the window's icon should go, and what
85 the window's initial state should be.
86 -shape This option causes the selected window's window and border
88 shape extents to be displayed.
89 -frame This option causes window manager frames to be considered when
91 manually selecting windows.
92 -metric This option causes all individual height, width, and x and y
94 positions to be displayed in millimeters as well as number of
95 pixels, based on what the server thinks the resolution is.
96 Geometry specifications that are in +x+y form are not changed.
97 -english
99 This option causes all individual height, width, and x and y
100 positions to be displayed in inches (and feet, yards, and miles
101 if necessary) as well as number of pixels. -metric and -english
102 may both be enabled at the same time.
103 -all This option is a quick way to ask for all information possible.
105 -display display
107 This option allows you to specify the server to connect to; see
108 X(7). PP
109 -version
111 This option indicates that xwininfo should print its version
112 information and exit.
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115 The following is a sample summary taken with no options specified:
116 xwininfo: Window id: 0x60000f "xterm"
118 Absolute upper-left X: 2
120 Absolute upper-left Y: 85
121 Relative upper-left X: 0
122 Relative upper-left Y: 25
123 Width: 579
124 Height: 316
125 Depth: 8
126 Visual: 0x1e
127 Visual Class: PseudoColor
128 Border width: 0
129 Class: InputOutput
130 Colormap: 0x27 (installed)
131 Bit Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
132 Window Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
133 Backing Store State: NotUseful
134 Save Under State: no
135 Map State: IsViewable
136 Override Redirect State: no
137 Corners: +2+85 -699+85 -699-623 +2-623
138 -geometry 80x24+0+58
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142 DISPLAY To get the default host and display number.
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145 X(7), xprop(1), xdpyinfo(1), xdriinfo(1), xvinfo(1), glxinfo(1)
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148 Using -stats -bits shows some redundant information.
149 The -geometry string displayed must make assumptions about the window's
151 border width and the behavior of the application and the window man‐
152 ager. As a result, the location given is not always correct.
153
155 Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
156X Version 11 xwininfo 1.1.4 XWININFO(1)