NAME

       XInternAtom, XInternAtoms, XGetAtomName, XGetAtomNames - create or return atom names

SYNTAX

       Atom XInternAtom(Display *display, _Xconst char *atom_name, Bool only_if_exists);

       Status  XInternAtoms(Display  *display, char **names, int count, Bool only_if_exists, Atom
              *atoms_return);

       char *XGetAtomName(Display *display, Atom atom);

       Status XGetAtomNames(Display *display, Atom *atoms, int count, char **names_return);

ARGUMENTS

       atom      Specifies the atom for the property name you want returned.

       atoms     Specifies the array of atoms.

       atom_name Specifies the name associated with the atom you want returned.

       atoms_return
                 Returns the atoms.

       count     Specifies the number of atom names in the array.

       display   Specifies the connection to the X server.

       names     Specifies the array of atom names.

       names_return
                 Returns the atom names.

       only_if_exists
                 Specifies a Boolean value that indicates whether the atom must be created.

DESCRIPTION

       The XInternAtom function  returns  the  atom  identifier  associated  with  the  specified
       atom_name  string.   If only_if_exists is False, the atom is created if it does not exist.
       Therefore, XInternAtom can return None.  If the atom name is  not  in  the  Host  Portable
       Character  Encoding,  the  result  is  implementation-dependent.   Uppercase and lowercase
       matter; the strings “thing”, “Thing”, and “thinG” all designate different atoms.  The atom
       will  remain  defined even after the client's connection closes.  It will become undefined
       only when the last connection to the X server closes.

       XInternAtom can generate BadAlloc and BadValue errors.

       The XInternAtoms function returns the  atom  identifiers  associated  with  the  specified
       names.   The  atoms  are stored in the atoms_return array supplied by the caller.  Calling
       this function is equivalent to calling XInternAtom for each of the names in turn with  the
       specified  value  of  only_if_exists, but this function minimizes the number of round-trip
       protocol exchanges between the client and the X server.

       This function returns a nonzero status if  atoms  are  returned  for  all  of  the  names;
       otherwise, it returns zero.

       XInternAtoms can generate BadAlloc and BadValue errors.

       The  XGetAtomName  function  returns  the name associated with the specified atom.  If the
       data returned by the server is in the Latin Portable Character Encoding, then the returned
       string   is   in   the  Host  Portable  Character  Encoding.   Otherwise,  the  result  is
       implementation-dependent.  To free the resulting string, call XFree.

       XGetAtomName can generate a BadAtom error.

       The XGetAtomNames function returns the names associated with  the  specified  atoms.   The
       names  are stored in the names_return array supplied by the caller.  Calling this function
       is equivalent to calling XGetAtomName for each of the atoms in  turn,  but  this  function
       minimizes the number of round-trip protocol exchanges between the client and the X server.

       This  function  returns  a  nonzero  status  if  names  are returned for all of the atoms;
       otherwise, it returns zero.

       XGetAtomNames can generate a BadAtom error.

DIAGNOSTICS

       BadAlloc  The server failed to allocate the requested resource or server memory.

       BadAtom   A value for an Atom argument does not name a defined Atom.

       BadValue  Some numeric value falls outside the range of values accepted  by  the  request.
                 Unless  a specific range is specified for an argument, the full range defined by
                 the argument's type is accepted.  Any argument defined as a set of  alternatives
                 can generate this error.

SEE ALSO

       XFree(3), XGetWindowProperty(3)
       Xlib - C Language X Interface