[SOLVED] How do you detect when the active app or window changes with GTK+ in C?

[otacon14112]

I'm studying GTK+, and I'm trying to find out a way for my program to know every time a window or application becomes the new active one, or gains focus. For example, I'm trying to learn how to write a global menu bar. I want it to behave similarly to Mac OS, so for example, when you click on another window, if it's a different application, you're presented with different menu options. But first I need to figure out a way to let my program get notified every time a window becomes the active window.

I read that in Xlib, you can set a flag for substructure redirection but that totally intercepts a signal, and the window that wants to be remapped won't be, because whatever program requested the notification will get the command from the window manager instead. But I'm wanting to use GTK+. I don't want to prevent an app or window from being remapped, raised, or gain the focus; I just want to know when it happens, and the window ID atom of the window, so that I can find out more information about that window.

Is it possible in GTK+?

[JosephM]

What your talking about is normally the province of the window manager. What you might want to do is look at something like libwnck. It's what things like mate-panel use to get similar information for it's window list. It works with gtk and might give you a place to get started.

https://developer.gnome.org/libwnck/stable/

[otacon14112]

Thanks

[otacon14112]

Unfortunately, libwnck is unstable. It's strange, because in the uri it says stable, but when I click on the relevant widgets on the link you sent me, they're all unstable. I went ahead anyway, and tried to make some sample programs to test it out, and it wouldn't even compile, giving me an error and refusing to compile it because it was unstable, and even went so far to suggest NOT using it.

[otacon14112]

What your talking about is normally the province of the window manager. What you might want to do is look at something like libwnck. It's what things like mate-panel use to get similar information for it's window list. It works with gtk and might give you a place to get started.

https://developer.gnome.org/libwnck/stable/

I just found out that a preprocessor definition is needed in order for it to compile, so now it appears I can move forward. I want to thank you again.