XtRealizeWidget(3)

💖 XtRealizeWidget, XtIsRealized, XtUnrealizeWidget — realize and unrealize widgets 💖

okay bestie sit DOWN because this is the X Toolkit Intrinsics page for making your widgets actually exist on screen, and honestly? it's giving main character energy. this lives in section 3 of the manual (that's the library functions girlies, iykyk) 💅

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✨ SYNTAX ✨

first, manifest the header:

#include <X11/Intrinsic.h>

then here's the whole trio, no cap:

void XtRealizeWidget(Widget w);

Boolean XtIsRealized(Widget w);

void XtUnrealizeWidget(Widget w);

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🌸 ARGUMENTS 🌸

• w — Specifies the widget. that's it. that's the whole vibe. the widget in question 🎀

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

💫 XtRealizeWidget — the glow-up moment

If the widget is already realized, XtRealizeWidget simply returns. like, it's already iconic, nothing left to do, bye 👋

Otherwise? oh we're COOKING. it performs the following:

• Binds all action names in the widget's translation table to procedures (see Section 10.1.2). 📖
• Makes a post-order traversal of the widget tree rooted at the specified widget and calls the change_managed procedure of each composite widget that has one or more managed children. going deep into the tree first, bestie, that's just how post-order rolls 🌳
• Constructs an XSetWindowAttributes structure filled in with information derived from the Core widget fields and calls the realize procedure for the widget, which adds any widget-specific attributes and creates the X window. this is the part where the window literally comes into being. it's giving birth. it's giving creation myth ✨
• If the widget is not a subclass of compositeWidgetClass, XtRealizeWidget returns; otherwise, it continues and performs the following:
  • Descends recursively to each of the widget's managed children and calls the realize procedures. Primitive widgets that instantiate children are responsible for realizing those children themselves. (yes, you, you're on your own for your own kids 🙈)
  • Maps all of the managed children windows that have mapped_when_managed True. (If a widget is managed but mapped_when_managed is False, the widget is allocated visual space but is not displayed. Some people seem to like this to indicate certain states.) so it's there, it's just not showing up. ghosting, but make it geometry 🫥

If the widget is a top-level shell widget (that is, it has no parent), and mapped_when_managed is True, XtRealizeWidget maps the widget window. no parent, no problem, it maps itself, independent queen 👑

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⭐ XtIsRealized — the vibe check

The XtIsRealized function returns True if the widget has been realized, that is, if the widget has a nonzero X window ID. so if you're wondering "is she real or is she not real", this is the function that tells you. window ID of zero means not realized, periodt 💀

Some widget procedures (for example, set_values) might wish to operate differently after the widget has been realized. totally valid, honestly, people change after they get a window ✨

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💀 XtUnrealizeWidget — the un-realize, the plot twist

The XtUnrealizeWidget function destroys the windows of an existing widget and all of its children (recursively down the widget tree). all of them. the whole bloodline. gone 😭

To recreate the windows at a later time, call XtRealizeWidget again. it's reversible bestie, we love a comeback arc 🫶

If the widget was managed, it will be unmanaged automatically before its window is freed. no dangling managed state, the cleanup is automatic, very thoughtful of it 🌈

⚠️ heads up: XtUnrealizeWidget is a destroy situation, not a hide situation. if you just wanted it invisible, that's a whole different conversation (mapped_when_managed, we're looking at you). this one takes the windows out back. be sure. 🚨

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• XtManageChildren(3)
• X Toolkit Intrinsics - C Language Interface
• Xlib - C Language X Interface

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and that's the whole page, bestie, you ate that 🍓✨

this was X Version 11, libXt 1.3.1, dated XtRealizeWidget(3) — so if you're citing it, that's the receipt, keep it cute 🎀💜