WMNAME

WMNAME refers to the WM_NAME property used in the X Window System to communicate a window’s human-readable title to the window manager. Defined by the ICCCM (Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual), WM_NAME is a standard property that allows clients to label their windows so that window managers can display meaningful titles in title bars, task lists, and alt-tab style interfaces.

Historically, WM_NAME is a STRING property; it is typically set by the application at window creation and updated when the title changes. In Xlib, programs commonly set the title via XStoreName or XSetWMName calls. High-level toolkits such as GTK and Qt expose window-title APIs that ultimately write the WM_NAME property on the underlying X11 window.

In modern desktop environments, window managers and compositors follow the Extended Window Manager Hints (EWMH) specification, which introduces _NET_WM_NAME as a UTF-8 title. _NET_WM_NAME is preferred for new applications and internationalized text, while WM_NAME remains supported for compatibility with older software. Some environments also provide _NET_WM_VISIBLE_NAME as a fallback for alternate display names.

If neither WM_NAME nor _NET_WM_NAME is available, a window manager may derive a title from other properties such as WM_CLASS or the window's resource name.

See also: WM_ICON_NAME, WM_HINTS, WM_CLASS, _NET_WM_NAME, X11.