FvwmAuto

• FvwmAuto
  • Sample Configuration
  • Advanced Features

The FvwmAuto module allows you to define actions for when the pointer enters and leaves a window after a specified delay, assuming you are using either SloppyFocus or MouseFocus. FvwmAuto does this by responding to EnterFocus and LeaveFocus events, which is why this is best used with the mentioned focus styles. A common use of this would be to automatically raise windows, which is in fact the module’s default behaviour.

FvwmAuto is a simplified version of FvwmEvent which only responds to EnterFocus and LeaveFocus events. Use FvwmEvent if you want actions to trigger on other types of events beyond just focus changes.

Sample Configuration

FvwmAuto doesn’t have a module configuration in the same sense as a lot of the other modules. The way this particular module works, is listening for certain events that you can specify. Along with that is the action to be performed (typically a function.)

In its simplest form, FvwmAuto will preform the Raise action on focused windows after a set amount of time. In order to raise focus windows 250 milliseconds after receiving and maintaining the focus, add the following to your config file to launch the module at start:

AddToFunc StartFunction I Module FvwmAuto 250

Advanced Features

You can also use FvwmAuto to preform custom actions when a window either gains or looses focus¹. This is done by first understanding that all options are passed to FvwmAuto when it is launched. The format to launch FvwmAuto when fvwm starts is:

AddToFunc StartFunction I Module FvwmAuto TimeOut [options] EnterCommand LeaveCommand

This will cause FvwmAuto to run EnterCommand TimeOut milliseconds after gaining focus, and LeaveCommand the same time out after leaving focus. If EnterCommand or LeaveCommand are not provided, the default action is to Raise windows after they gain focus. The EnterCommand and LeaveCommand can either be fvwm builtin commands or custom functions. Using the -passid option, FvwmAuto will append the window id as the last parameter sent to the function. The following example will only raise specific windows whose name/class/resource

DestroyFunc SelectiveRaiseLower
AddToFunc SelectiveRaiseLower
+ I WindowId $1 (FvwmIconMan) $0
+ I WindowId $1 (FvwmButtons) $0
+ I WindowId $1 (xteddy) $0

AddToFunc StartFunction Module FvwmAuto 250 -passid \
"SelectiveRaiseLower Raise" "SelectiveRaiseLower Lower"

The FvwmAuto manual page provides more details and examples of the various options available, but FvwmAuto is a fairly limited module. To be able to have more control and respond to more events, use FvwmEvent instead.