Provided by: fvwm3_1.1.2+ds-1_amd64 
NAME
FvwmEvent - the fvwm event module
DESCRIPTION
FvwmEvent is a module that triggers actions on fvwm events. It can be used to hook any fvwm function or
program to any window manager event. FvwmEvent can trigger actions when windows are added, deleted,
iconified, shaded, or when fvwm changes which virtual page or desk is being shown, or when RandR monitors
are changed, enabled, disabled, or gain focus. Be creative, you’ll find a use for it.
INVOCATION
FvwmEvent is spawned by fvwm, so no command line invocation will work. FvwmEvent can be spawned from
within the config file with or without an Alias as follows:
Module FvwmEvent Alias
You can add this to the StartFunction to ensure FvwmEvent is running and listening for events when fvwm
starts. Alternatively you can add this to a menu, key binding, etc. You can kill stop a running instance
of FvwmEvent with:
KillModule FvwmEvent Alias
CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
FvwmEvent gets config info from fvwm's module configuration database (see fvwm(1), section MODULE
COMMANDS), and looks for certain configuration options:
*FvwmEvent: Cmd command
This determines the fvwm function that is to be called with the event parameters. You might want to
do one of the following (details below):
# execute distinct fvwm functions
*FvwmEvent: Cmd
# execute distinct external programs
*FvwmEvent: Cmd exec
FvwmEvent has support for any other external program. e.g: the rsynth 'say' command:
*FvwmEvent: Cmd "Exec /rsynth/say"
*FvwmEvent: destroy_window "window closed"
You can also use fvwm's builtin Echo command as FvwmEvent: Cmd to obtain debug output for fvwm events
quietly. I used this setup to debug FvwmAuto:
*FvwmEvent: Cmd Echo
*FvwmEvent: focus_change "focus change"
*FvwmEvent: raise_window "raise window"
You can even call different shell commands for each event just by setting
*FvwmEvent: Cmd exec
*FvwmEvent: add_window 'killname "APPL ERROR"'
*FvwmEvent: PassId
Specifies that the event action will have an ID parameter added to the end of the command line. Most
events will have the windowID of the window that the event refers to. The new_desk event will have
the new desk number. Monitor events will have the RandR monitor name. The windowID is a hexadecimal
string preceded by 0x, desk numbers are decimal, and monitor name’s are strings.
*FvwmEvent: window-manager-event action
Binds particular actions to window manager events. The action is appended to the Cmd which is then
sent to fvwm for execution.
The following events are valid:
┌──────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ │
│ Event │ Description │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ add_window │ Occurs when a new window is mapped │
│ │ and visible │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ config_info │ Occurs when a module asks for │
│ │ configuration │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ configure_window │ Occurs when a ConfigureNotify event │
│ │ happens │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ default_icon │ Occurs when a window’s DefaultIcon │
│ │ changes │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ deiconify │ Occurs when a window id deiconified │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ destroy_window │ Occurs when a window is destroyed │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ dewindowshade │ Occurs when a window is unshaded │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ echo │ Occurs when an Echo command is run │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ end_config_info │ Occurs when there’s no more module │
│ │ config to send │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ end_windowlist │ Occurs when the windowlist has │
│ │ finished sending │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ enter_window │ Occurs when a window receives a │
│ │ EnterNotify event │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ error │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ focus_change │ Occurs when a window gains or loses │
│ │ focus │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ icon_file │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ icon_location │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ icon_name │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ iconify │ Occurs when a window is iconified │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ leave_window │ Occurs when a window receives a │
│ │ LeaveNotify event │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ lower_window │ Occurs when a window is lowered │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ map │ Occurs when a window is Mapped │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ mini_icon │ Occurs when a window’s mini icon │
│ │ changes │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ monitor_changed │ Occurs when a monitor’s resolution │
│ │ changes │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ monitor_disabled │ Occurs when a monitor is disabled │
│ │ (via RandR) │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ monitor_enabled │ Occurs when a monitor is enabled (via │
│ │ RandR) │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ monitor_focus │ Occurs when a monitor gains focus │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ new_desk │ Occurs when a new desk is switched to │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ new_page │ Occurs when a new page is switched to │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ old_add_window │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ old_configure_window │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ property_change │ Occurs when a window receives a │
│ │ PropertNotify event │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ raise_window │ Occurs when a window is raised │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ res_class │ Occurs when a window’s Class is set │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ res_name │ Occurs when a window’s Resource is │
│ │ set │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ restack │ Occurs when windows are restacked │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ sendconfig │ Occurs when FvwmEvent asks for its │
│ │ config │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ shutdown │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ startup │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ string │ Occurs when the SendToModule command │
│ │ is used │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ unknown │ DEPRECATED │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ visible_icon_name │ Occurs when a window’s visible icon │
│ │ name changes │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ visible_name │ Occurs when a window’s visible name │
│ │ changes │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ window_name │ Occurs when a window’s name (WM_NAME) │
│ │ is set │
├──────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ windowshade │ Occurs when a window is shaded │
└──────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
The window related event handlers are executed within a window context. Previously PassId was used
for this purpose, but now using PassId is not needed.
The monitor_* events do not operate in a window context (as there isn’t one), but react to when a
monitor is plugged in (enabled), unplugged (disabled), focused (focus) or changed (resized/rotated,
etc., which will only be true if the monitor is already active).
The echo event is generated whenever Fvwm receives an Echo command.
Note: The enter_window event is generated when the pointer enters a window. With the -passid option,
that window’s id is passed to fvwm. An enter_window event is generated too when the pointer leaves a
window and moves into the root window. In this case, the id passed is 0.
Note: When the shutdown event arrives, FvwmEvent may be killed before it can trigger the associated
action.
*FvwmEvent: Delay 5
Specifies that an event-action will only be executed if it occurs at least 5 seconds after the
previous event. Events that occur during the delay period are ignored. The default delay is 0 which
disables the Event.
*FvwmEvent: StartDelay delay
Specifies that an event-action will only be executed if it occurs at least delay seconds after the
startup event. Events that occur during the delay period are ignored. This option is useful when fvwm
starts and restarts using an audio player. The default delay is 0.
HISTORY
This module has evolved of FvwmAudio, which in term is heavily based on a similar Fvwm module called
FvwmSound by Mark Boyns. FvwmAudio simply took Mark’s original program and extended it to make it generic
enough to work with any audio player. Due to different requests to do specific things on specific events,
FvwmEvent took this one step further and now calls any fvwm function. If fvwm's Exec function is used,
any external program can be called with any parameter.
AUTHORS
• 1994 FvwmSound Mark Boyns (boyns@sdsu.edu)
• 1994 FvwmAudio Mark Scott (mscott@mcd.mot.com)
• 1996 FvwmAudio Albrecht Kadlec
• 1998 FvwmEvent Albrecht Kadlec (albrecht@auto.tuwien.ac.at)
2025-02-22 FVWMEVENT(1)