ASDatabaseEntry(1x)

📦

version 2.2.12 · 3 versions

2.2.12 · ubuntu jammy (latest)
2.2.12 · nixos 26.05
2.2.12 · debian bookworm

💖 NAME 💖

okay so this is ASDatabaseEntry(1x) — it's part of the AfterStep X11 window manager family of man pages, and bestie, it's literally the cheat sheet for stuff you write inside your AfterStep database entries. Entry-level config energy. Periodt. ✨

🎀 CONFIGURATION OPTIONS 🎀

okay here's the whole menu, no skips, no shortcuts, we're doing all of them 🫶

AllowCover — says other windows ARE allowed to cover the app window. It turns off AvoidCover. And this is the default setting. The chill option, lowkey.
AvoidCover — says other windows should not be allowed to cover the app window. It stops other windows from moving in front of (or behind) the app window. And if SmartPlacement is specified in the feel file, windows won't be allowed to automatically place themselves over the app window, if possible. AllowCover turns off AvoidCover. The default is AllowCover.
BorderWidth width — when you use this together with NoHandles, it sets the border width of a window to width. A width of 0 causes no border. This option has no effect if it's not used with NoHandles. The default is 1 implicitly for all windows.
Button number — every time you specify a number to Button, that button's number gets displayed in the title bar. number should be the same as used in the TitleButtons setting. The default is to display all buttons defined in the look.name file, but only if these conditions are met: there's a valid bitmap or pixmap specified for the button in the look.name file; and the button has not been forced not to display by the use of Motif WM hints specified by the application.
CirculateHit — enables the window to be switched to using ChangeWindowUp, ChangeWindowDown or Warp (also called alt-tabbing) functions. This is the default implicitly for all windows.
CirculateSkip — causes windows to be skipped over when the ChangeWindowUp, ChangeWindowDown or Warp (also called alt-tabbing) functions are invoked. This is disabled by default implicitly for all windows.
DefaultGeometry WIDTHxHEIGHT+X+Y — this forces AfterStep to replace parts of the window's initial placement with predefined values. Like, for example:

Style "*mozilla*" DefaultGeometry 1024x500

and that will force mozilla windows (or any windows that have "mozilla" in their name) to have an initial size of 1024x500.

ngl, in the case of mozilla it's actually useful to define several Styles so that you get different geometries for different dialog boxes, like search/download/etc.

Focus — this sets the window to accept input focus. This is the default for all windows.
FocusOnMap — the client window will be focused when it is mapped, even if it's not directly under the mouse pointer. main character window, always getting the attention 💅
FocusStyle [ style ] — specifies a MyStyle to be used for this window when it has the keyboard focus. If style is unspecified, the default focus style will be used instead (see FWindowStyle, below).
Frame "frame_name" — enables "frame_name" to be used for decoration of this window. cute fit, but for windows 💖
Fullscreen — makes the window Fullscreen on startup.
HandleWidth width — specifies the width of the resize handles. The default width is 8 pixels.
Handles — specifies that the app window will display the "low bar" decoration. This is the default for all windows.
HonorConfig — forces AfterStep to honor a client's request to reposition itself after its window has been mapped. ⚠️ This is a dangerous behavior, because clients do not have a reliable way of determining the best position for themselves. Window positioning should be left to AfterStep, as it knows better. Opposite of IgnoreConfig.

See Also: IgnoreConfig.

HonorExtWMHints — forces AfterStep to use extended window management hints that the client sets on its windows. These generally include window type (dialog, desktop, menu, etc), window state (minimized, maximized, shaded, etc.), desktop, icon and additional data. Heads up though: these window-type hints cause AfterStep to apply one of its policies, which may result in missing decorations, a non-default layer, and other potential irregularities. The opposite is NoExtWMHints.

See Also: NoExtWMHints.

HonorGnomeHints — forces AfterStep to use the desktop, layer, and other hints data that a client sets on its window using the old, outdated GNOME window management hints. The opposite is NoGnomeHints.

See Also: NoGnomeHints.

HonorGroupHints — AfterStep will utilize a group hint set on the client's window. This makes AfterStep apply group management policies to all windows of the client. For example: when one window in the group is moved to a different desktop, all other windows will follow. Group members will usually be stacked together and utilize the layer of the member with the highest layer within the given group. Transient windows belonging to one of the members will overlay all of the members. The opposite is NoGroupHints.

See Also: NoGroupHints.

HonorKDEHints — AfterStep will honor KDE specific hints set on the client's window. This is mainly used for status bar-type applications. The opposite is NoKDEHints.

See Also: NoKDEHints.

HonorMotifHints — AfterStep will honor Motif specific hints set on the client's window. This includes any decorations that need to be drawn around it and any functions (minimize/maximize/re-size/move) that it supports. The opposite is NoMotifHints.

See Also: NoMotifHints.

HonorPPosition — forces AfterStep to use the PPosition hint for this window. The PPosition hint normally means that the application has determined its position due to some of its own configuration settings, and the position has not been explicitly requested on the command line. This setting overrides the NoPPosition setting in the feel file.
HonorRestack — FIXME: add proper description here. 💀 (not me, that's literally what the page says, don't come for me)
HonorTransientHints — will force AfterStep to use the transient hint, effectively attaching the window to its parent (placing it on the same layer, etc.)
HonorXResources — forces AfterStep to respect the XResources database when it comes to window placement.
HorizontalTitle — causes the window titlebar to be placed horizontally on top of the window. This is the implicit default for all windows.
Icon filename — specifies the [filename] to use when iconified, overriding any icon the app itself might provide. NoIcon turns this off. The default is to use the app's supplied icon, or the icon specified with the WM_NAME of "Unknown" or "*".
IconTitle — specifies that a title should be displayed under an iconified app. The colors used are the ForeColor and BackColor of the ButtonTitleFocus in the look.name file. Note: less space is left for the app's icon, so it will be resized accordingly. Only a portion of the icon title will be displayed until the icon gains focus, and then the title "box" will expand to reveal the window's entire name. the way it reveals itself... iconic 🌸
IgnoreConfig — AfterStep will ignore a client's attempts to reposition its window after it has been mapped on the screen. Opposite of HonorConfig.

See Also: HonorConfig.

IgnoreRestack — FIXME: add proper description here. 💀 (again, that's the page's own words, not mine)
Layer layer — specifies what layer this window should be in. layer may be any integer (positive, negative, or zero). Windows are grouped according to their layer, and may not be moved out of their layer. Windows in higher layers will be above windows in lower layers. By default, windows are placed in layer 0. StaysOnBack corresponds to Layer -1, and StaysOnTop corresponds to Layer 1.
LongLiving — a window will stay on the screen long enough to allow application of different placement policies, such as AvoidCover. Opposite of ShortLiving.

See Also: ShortLiving.

NoButton number — every time you specify a number to NoButton, that button gets hidden from the title bar. number should be the same as used in the TitleButtons setting. The default is to display all buttons defined in the look.name file, but only if these conditions are met: there's a valid bitmap or pixmap specified for the button in the look.name file; and the button has not been forced not to display by the use of Motif WM hints specified by the application.
NoExtWMHints — AfterStep will not use extended window management hints that the client sets on its windows. Opposite of HonorExtWMHints.

See Also: HonorExtWMHints.

NoFocus — this sets the window to refuse any input focus. Focus will turn this setting off. This is off by default.
NoFocusOnMap — AfterStep will not yield a focus to the new window being mapped. This prevents things like passwords typed into popped-up IM windows. 🙈 Opposite of FocusOnMap.

See Also: FocusOnMap.

NoFrame — disables frame decorations for this window.
NoFullscreen — prevents windows from starting up as Fullscreen.
NoGnomeHints — causes AfterStep to disregard layer properties and several obsolete properties for a window. Opposite of HonorGnomeHints.

See Also: HonorGnomeHints.

NoGroupHints — AfterStep will not utilize a group hint set on the client's window. Opposite of HonorGroupHints.

See Also: HonorGroupHints.

NoHandles — specifies that the app window will not display the "low bar" decoration. This also removes the ability to resize windows with the resize handles on the "low bar" ends. The default is Handles implicitly for all windows.
NoIcon — disables the icon from being visible when the window is iconified. That causes the window to simply disappear when the app is iconified. Refer to the EXAMPLES below for a method to make all icons disappear.
NoIconTitle — specifies that no title should be displayed under an iconified app.
NoKDEHints — AfterStep will not honor KDE specific hints set on the client's window. Opposite of HonorKDEHints.

See Also: HonorKDEHints.

NoMotifHints — forces AfterStep to disregard Motif decoration and functionality hints.
NoPPosition —

bestie we are NOT done, the page keeps going — part 2 is coming, don't you dare close the tab 🦋

Okay so picking right back up where we left off, no re-introductions, let's go 💅

Species that afterstep should ignore the PPosition field for — like, for the specified window, the window does not get to choose where it places itself. Adherence to the PPosition field is required for some applications, so don't just yolo this one on everything, bestie.

NoTitle — says afterstep should not put a title bar decoration on the app. It's off by default.
NoTransientHints — ignore the transient hint, so the window gets treated as an independent window. main character energy fr.
NoXResources — forces AfterStep to disregard the XResources database when it comes to window placement.
OverrideGravity NorthWest | North | NorthEast | West | Center | East | SouthWest | South | SouthEast | Static — some applications (notably xv) were designed without reading widely accepted and used standards like ICCCM 😭. Gravity value is one of the hints that often gets misplaced by applications, and as a result you may get weird placement behaviour — like windows moving to the top-left with each resize or file opened. Try specifying StaticGravity for those apps. Also some applications just don't set gravity correctly. Example: you start an application with geometry +10-10, which means SouthWestGravity and should fix the position of the left and bottom sides of the window. But the window sets its gravity to NorthWestGravity instead, and as a result the window gets placed further down toward the bottom by the size of the frame decorations 🙈. In those cases you can specify whatever gravity you want and thus override those stupid apps.

See Also: Gravity type specification for further details.

ShortLiving — ShortLiving windows are always placed automatically and do not affect AvoidCover stuff.
Slippery — this is the default setting 💚 — windows stay on the desktop they were placed on, and do not "follow" the viewport when desk/view changes.
StartIconic — causes the app to start and immediately iconify itself to the IconBox. The default is StartNormal implicitly for all windows.
StartNormal — disables the effects of StartIconic — the window will not be iconified upon startup. This is the default.
StartsAnyWhere — upon startup the window will be placed onto the current desktop. This is the implicit default setting for all windows.
StartsOnDesk number — causes the app window to start on the specified desk number. If SmartPlacement is used in the feel.name file, the window will appear on the specified desk number, but it will require interaction to place it — unless it was called with geometry settings. Specific Viewports are also allowed, refer to them below. The default is StartsAnyWhere implicitly for all windows.
StaysOnBack — places the window in Layer -1, essentially forcing it to go under most other windows. Default Layer is 0.

NOTE: deprecated, use Layer instead.

StaysOnTop | StaysPut | StaysOnBack — places the window in Layer 1, making it go on TOP of most other windows 👑. Default Layer is 0.

NOTE: deprecated, use Layer instead.

StaysPut — places the window in the default Layer 0, disabling the effects of StaysOnTop, StaysOnBack and Layer.

NOTE: deprecated, use Layer instead.

Sticky — causes the app window to stick to its location for each desktop that becomes current, letting the window "follow" while you're changing desks/views 🦋. The default is Slippery implicitly for all windows.
StickyStyle style — specifies a MyStyle to be used for this window when it does not have the keyboard focus, and is sticky. If style is unspecified, the default sticky style will be used instead (see SWindowStyle, below).
Title — specifies that afterstep should put a title bar decoration on the app. This is the default.
UnfocusStyle style — specifies a MyStyle to be used for this window when it does not have the keyboard focus, and is not sticky. If style is unspecified, the default unfocus style will be used instead (see UWindowStyle, below).
UseAnyViewport — AfterStep will treat an application as if it is relative to the desktop origin, when that application specifies its geometry at the time of mapping.