AfterStep(1)             AfterStep X11 window manager             AfterStep(1)



NAME
       AfterStep - X11 window manager AfterStep AutoExec  Base Configuration
       Function


STANDARD OPTIONS
       The following is the list of command line options supported by all
       AfterStep modules and applications.


       -v | --version

              Display version information and stop.


       -c | --config

              Display Config information and stop.


       -h | --help

              Display uasge information and stop.


       --debug

              Debugging: Run in Synchronous mode.


       -s | --single

              Run on single screen only.


       -r | --restart

              Run as if it was restarted. same as regular startup, only runs
              RestartFunctioninstead of InitFunction.


       -d | --displayval

              Specify what X display we should connect to. Overrides $DISPLAY
              environment variable.


       -f | --config-fileval

              Read all config from requested file. Use it if you want to use
              .steprc instead of standard config files.


       -p | --user-dirval

              Read all the config from requested dir. Use it to override
              config location requested in compile time.


       -g | --global-dirval

              Use requested dir as a shared config dir. Use it to override
              shared config location requested in compile time.


       -V | --verbosity-levelval

              Change verbosity of the AfterStep output. 0 - will disable any
              output; 1 - will allow only error messages; 5 - both errors and
              warnings(default).


       --windowval

              Internal Use: Window in which action occured. interface part
              which has triggered our startup.


       --contextval

              Internal Use: Context in which action occured. interface part
              which has triggered our startup.


       --lookval

              Read look config from requested file. Use it if you want to use
              different look instead of what was selected from the menu.


       --feelval

              Read feel config from requested file. Use it if you want to use
              different feel instead of what was selected from the menu.


       --themeval

              Read theme config from requested file. Use it if you want to use
              different theme instead of what was selected from the menu.


       -l | --logval

              Save all output into the file. (instead of printing it to
              console).


       -L | --localeval

              Set language locale. to be used while displaying text.


       --mynameval

              Overrides module name. will be used while parsing config files
              and reporting to AfterStep.


       --geometryval

              Overrides module's geometry.


       --gravityval

              Overrides module's gravity.



SYNOPSIS
        afterstep [ standard options ]


       AfterStep has been almost entirely rewritten in this new incarnation.
       Here is the short list of new architectural changes:

       1.1. New high performance and high quality image handling engine has
       been developed to fulfill GUI needs. It includes different image
       transformations, such as scaling, tiling, cropping, blurring, blending
       of arbitrary number of layers, in-memory image compression, support for
       12 different file formats, including its own parser/writer of XPM
       files, capable of achieving much better performance then default
       libXpm. Supported image formats are :

       XPM, PNG, JPEG, XCF(GIMP image format), PPM, PNM, BMP, ICO, CUR, GIF,
       TIFF, and XML scripts. Where XML scripts allow for user to create
       script of transformations to be performed on the image at the time when
       it gets loaded./para> libAfterImage also provides support for TTF fonts
       ( using libfreetype ) and smoothed standard X raster fonts.

       1.2. Window hints handling has been rewriten and reorganized, and most
       of the Extended WM specs has been incorporated, as well, as better
       support for Motif, ICCCM and old GNOME hints has been implemented.

       1.3. All the GUI rendering code has been aggregated into libAfterStep
       and now all the GUI elements are rendered using consistent approach in
       every module and every part of the AfterStep proper. From now on
       interface is build from so called TBars. TBar is rectangular area that
       may be focused(hilited) or unfocused and pressed or unpressed. Each
       TBar has the following structure :

       - the background of the TBar, which is defined by MyStyle and state of
       the bar - there are two MyStyles assigned to each TBar - one for
       focused and one for unfocused state.

       - tiles of the TBar. Tiles are smaller features that gets arranged
       inside the bar according to its size, alignment, position and order.
       Tiles could be static icons ( cannot be pressed ); blocks of buttons -
       each having two shapes - pressed and normal; Text labels; Empty space
       tiles.

       There could be upto 256 tiles, each residing on one of the cells in
       16x16 grid. Several tiles could reside in single cell, in which case
       they get superimposed on top of each other.

       - bevel of the TBar. When TBar is rendered all of its tiles are
       superimposed on top of its background, and resulting image will have a
       3D bevel drawn on it, using colors from same MyStyle as used for
       background. Bevel could be switched off partially or entirely.
       Respective configuration options has been added where appropriate. When
       TBar is pressed - its bevel is inverted.

       When TBar is rendered all of its elements gets superimposed on top of
       each other using one of 13 blending methods supported by libAfterImage,
       with default being simple alphablending. See MyFrame configuration for
       more details. This is refrred to as "Composition Method".

       1.4. Due to the fact that AfterStep is using compression to store
       images in memory - there is no need to have separate root background
       handler, and so asetroot has been discontinued and afterstep proper now
       does all the root background loading. You could simply copy-and-paste
       your asteroot config into your look file. This has an added advantage
       of simplifing theme support for root backgrounds.

       1.5. Significant work has been done to create libAfterConf which
       provides easy means for reading configuration options, and facilitates
       implementation of any configuration tool.

       1.6. Some work has been done to improve support for themes. AfterStep
       proper and modules now load configuration files is this order :

       #1 - base config; #2 - look, feel, menu, database, autoexec and module
       specific config; #3 - theme file; #4 - theme override file;

       Theme override file is needed so that user may have a list of critical
       options that he/she does not want to be changed by any theme. What is
       missing here is a comprehensive theme building tool.

       1.7. AfterStep now make extensive use of X shaped extensions ( where
       available ) Everything could be shaped now - titlebars, Pager, Wharf,
       etc. To make some element shaped - MyStyle with BackPixmap type 125 or
       126 should be used.

       1.8. Menus are now treated same as regular windows. They could be
       configured in database file using preset Style "ASMenu" to have
       different titlebar buttons, frame decorations, stickiness, etc.
       MenuPinOn has been changed to be just another titlebar button, with
       PinMenu function assigned to it.

       1.9. AfterStep no longer uses fixed scheme of 5 titlebar buttons on
       each side, and order of buttons could be configured in look. There is
       still limitation to have no more then 10 buttons total.







3rd Berkeley Distribution      AfterStep v.2.2.9                  AfterStep(1)
