XCreateSimpleWindow

XCreateSimpleWindow is a convenience function in the Xlib library used to create a basic window with a small, fixed attribute set. It provides a straightforward alternative to the more general XCreateWindow when only simple appearance properties are needed.

The typical signature is: Window XCreateSimpleWindow(Display *display, Window parent, int x, int y, unsigned int width, unsigned int height, unsigned int border_width, unsigned long border, unsigned long background);

The function returns a Window identifier. The border and background arguments are Pixel values that specify the border color and the window background color, respectively. These colors are usually obtained from a colormap, for example by using BlackPixel or WhitePixel for simple schemes.

XCreateSimpleWindow creates the window with a minimal attribute set and relies on the parent window’s depth and visual. It does not provide the full flexibility of XCreateWindow, which allows explicit specification of depth, class, colormap, and additional window attributes and hints.

Usage commonly includes mapping the window after creation and configuring input events, typically with XMapWindow and XSelectInput. Because XCreateSimpleWindow does not set an event mask, applications usually set their desired input events after creation.

Limitations include the lack of support for advanced attributes such as save-under, override-redirect, or custom colormaps. For complex windows, XCreateWindow remains the more appropriate choice.

See also: XCreateWindow, XMapWindow, BlackPixel, WhitePixel.