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Window Manager Reference

Framework	Carbon/Carbon.h
Declared in	HIToolboxDebugging.h HIWindowViews.h IOMacOSTypes.h MacWindows.h QuickdrawTypes.h

Overview

Your application uses the Window Manager to create and manage windows. For example, your application uses the Window Manager to create and display a new window when the user creates a new document or opens an existing document. When the user clicks or holds down the mouse button while the cursor is in a window created by your application, you use the Window Manager to determine the location of the mouse action and to alter the window display as appropriate. When the user closes a window, you use the Window Manager to remove the window from the screen.

A Macintosh application uses windows for most communication with the user, from discrete interactions such as presenting and acknowledging alert boxes to open-ended interactions such as creating and editing documents. Users generally type words and formulas, draw pictures, or otherwise enter data in a window on the screen. Your application typically lets the user save this data in a file, open saved files, and view the saved data in a window.

A window can be any size or shape, and the user can display any number of windows, within the limits of available memory, on the screen at once.

The Window Manager defines a set of standard windows and provides a set of routines for managing them. The Window Manager helps your application display windows that are consistent with the Macintosh user interface.

Note: Historically, the Window Manager has offered different successive methods for creating and manipulating windows. Many of the older functions have been deprecated and, in most cases, this reference provides a recommended replacement. For the most up-to-date information about creating windows, see the document Handling Carbon Windows and Controls.

Carbon supports the Window Manager. Be aware, however, that if you use custom window definition procedures (also known as WDEFs), you must move them out of resources and compile them into your application. In addition:

Your application must use the functions defined by the Window Manager whenever it creates and disposes of Window Manager data structures. For example, instead of directly creating and disposing of window records, applications must call Window Manager functions such as CreateNewWindow and DisposeWindow.
You must revise your application so that it accesses Window Manager data structures only through accessor functions.
You are encouraged to adopt the standard Mac OS window definition procedures in your application. Applications that use the standard Mac OS window definition procedures inherit the Mac OS human interface appearance on Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X. Applications that use custom window definition procedures work correctly, but because custom definition procedures invoke their own drawing routines, the Mac OS can’t draw these applications with the current appearance (unless you specifically use Appearance Manager drawing primitives).

Functions by Task

Accessing Information About a Window

Activating Window Path Pop-Up Menus

Associating Data With Windows

Collapsing Windows

Creating, Storing, and Closing Windows

Displaying Floating Windows and Window Animations

Displaying Windows

Dragging Proxy Icons

Establishing Proxy Icons

Getting and Setting Window Structure Fields

Handling Mouse Events in Windows

Locating Windows

Maintaining the Update Region

Managing Activation Scope

Managing Dock Tiles

Managing Modality

Managing Themes

Managing Toolbars

Managing Transitions

Managing Transparency

Managing UPPs

Managing Window Attributes

Managing Window Availability

Managing Window Classes

Managing Window Features

Managing Window Focus

Managing Window Groups

Managing Window Titles

Manipulating Drawers

Manipulating Sheets

Manipulating Window Color Information

Referencing Windows

Scrolling

Sizing and Positioning Windows

Updating the Screen

Using Default and Cancel Buttons

You can use these functions to add dialog-like button controls to normal windows.