1XWININFO(1) General Commands Manual XWININFO(1)
2
6 xwininfo - window information utility for X
7
9 xwininfo [-help] [-id wdid] [-root] [-name wdname] [-int] [-children]
10 [-tree] [-stats] [-bits] [-events] [-size] [-wm] [-shape] [-frame]
11 [-all] [-english] [-metric] [-display host:dpy] [-version]
12
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.
24
26 -help Print out the `Usage:' command syntax summary.
27 -id wdid
29 This option allows the user to specify a target window wdid on
30 the command line rather than using the mouse to select the tar‐
31 get window. This is very useful in debugging X applications
32 where the target window is not mapped to the screen or where
33 the use of the mouse might be impossible or interfere with the
34 application.
35 -name wdname
37 This option allows the user to specify that the window named
38 wdname is the target window on the command line rather than
39 using the mouse to select the target window.
40 -root This option specifies that X's root window is the target win‐
42 dow. This is useful in situations where the root window is
43 completely obscured.
44 -int This option specifies that all X window ids should be displayed
46 as integer values. The default is to display them as hexadeci‐
47 mal values.
48 -children
50 This option causes the root, parent, and children windows' ids
51 and names of the selected window to be displayed.
52 -tree This option is like -children but displays all children recur‐
54 sively.
55 -stats This option causes the display of various attributes pertaining
57 to the location and appearance of the selected window. Infor‐
58 mation displayed includes the location of the window, its width
59 and height, its depth, border width, visual id and class, col‐
60 ormap id if any, map state, backing-store hint, and location of
61 the corners.
62 -bits This option causes the display of various attributes pertaining
64 to the selected window's raw bits and how the selected window
65 is to be stored. Displayed information includes the selected
66 window's bit gravity, window gravity, backing-store hint, back‐
67 ing-planes value, backing pixel, and whether or not the window
68 has save-under set.
69 -events This option causes the selected window's event masks to be dis‐
71 played. Both the event mask of events wanted by some client
72 and the event mask of events not to propagate are displayed.
73 -size This option causes the selected window's sizing hints to be
75 displayed. Displayed information includes: for both the normal
76 size hints and the zoom size hints, the user supplied location
77 if any; the program supplied location if any; the user supplied
78 size if any; the program supplied size if any; the minimum size
79 if any; the maximum size if any; the resize increments if any;
80 and the minimum and maximum aspect ratios if any.
81 -wm This option causes the selected window's window manager hints
83 to be displayed. Information displayed may include whether or
84 not the application accepts input, what the window's icon win‐
85 dow # and name is, where the window's icon should go, and what
86 the window's initial state should be.
87 -shape This option causes the selected window's window and border
89 shape extents to be displayed.
90 -frame This option causes window manager frames to be considered when
92 manually selecting windows.
93 -metric This option causes all individual height, width, and x and y
95 positions to be displayed in millimeters as well as number of
96 pixels, based on what the server thinks the resolution is.
97 Geometry specifications that are in +x+y form are not changed.
98 -english
100 This option causes all individual height, width, and x and y
101 positions to be displayed in inches (and feet, yards, and miles
102 if necessary) as well as number of pixels. -metric and -english
103 may both be enabled at the same time.
104 -all This option is a quick way to ask for all information possible.
106 -d, -display host:dpy
108 This option allows you to specify the server to connect to; see
109 X(7).
110 -version
112 This option indicates that xwininfo should print its version
113 information and exit.
114
116 The following is a sample summary taken with no options specified:
117 xwininfo: Window id: 0x60000f "xterm"
119 Absolute upper-left X: 2
121 Absolute upper-left Y: 85
122 Relative upper-left X: 0
123 Relative upper-left Y: 25
124 Width: 579
125 Height: 316
126 Depth: 8
127 Visual: 0x1e
128 Visual Class: PseudoColor
129 Border width: 0
130 Class: InputOutput
131 Colormap: 0x27 (installed)
132 Bit Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
133 Window Gravity State: NorthWestGravity
134 Backing Store State: NotUseful
135 Save Under State: no
136 Map State: IsViewable
137 Override Redirect State: no
138 Corners: +2+85 -699+85 -699-623 +2-623
139 -geometry 80x24+0+58
140
143 DISPLAY To get the default host and display number.
144
146 X(7), xprop(1), xdpyinfo(1), xdriinfo(1), xvinfo(1), glxinfo(1)
147
149 Using -stats -bits shows some redundant information.
150 The -geometry string displayed must make assumptions about the window's
152 border width and the behavior of the application and the window man‐
153 ager. As a result, the location given is not always correct.
154
156 Mark Lillibridge, MIT Project Athena
157X Version 11 xwininfo 1.1.5 XWININFO(1)