Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!Eng.Sun.COM!argv
From: argv@Eng.Sun.COM (Dan Heller)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x.motif
Subject: "modal" modes
Message-ID: <9010310824.AA18853@turnpike.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 31 Oct 90 08:24:03 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: <argv@Sun.COM>
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 22

[ the question is in the 3rd paragraph :-) ]
Motif has two "modal" modes -- application and system modals.
When a window (widget) is application modal, the user must
interact with that dialog and is *unable* to use any other
window _from that application_, altho he can interact with
other windows on the desktop.  System modals are just like
pointer grabs.

Motif implements application modal windows by providing a
"protocol" that's specific to the window manager (mwm).  If
a window requires this type of functionality, it sets a
particular atom and mwm does the right thing.

The question is, can this be done using some other method besides
that provided by mwm?  System modals are easy -- just grab the
pointer and release it when you're done.  Applciation grabs, are
more difficult.  I haven't seen anything in any of the X or Xt
docs that specify a method for XGrabPointer or anything else to
achieve this.  I am trying to read the "input focus" section of
the ICCCM, but I don't see it addressing this issue at all.

--dan