Editing Dockapps

[[Image:WindowMakerDockapps1.jpg|thumb|86px|[[Window Maker]] Dock with the dockapps wmclock, wmmon, wmapmload and wmusic]]
'''Dockapps''' are [[computer program|computer programs]] that have a tiny [[graphical user interface|graphical interface]], the size of an [[icon (computing)|icon]]. They typically reside in a part of the user interface known as the [[Dock (computing)|dock]], alongside icons of applications that are inactive.

Their small size makes dockapps well-suited for monitoring applications that update the icon window with low-priority information. Some applications are:
*Displaying [[CPU usage]]
*Displaying computer [[temperatures]]
*Displaying [[computer network|network]] or disk-usage statistics
*Displaying [[Clock|clocks]], [[calendars]], [[moon phase]]s, or [[weather forecasting|weather report]]s

==Support==
Support for dockapps has been present in [[Window Maker]] since
[https://repo.or.cz/wmaker-crm.git/blob/d5c88d5afa4bffca6d39c45d2ef12179fc41feae:/FAQ 1998].
In early 1999 a
[https://web.archive.org/web/19990128044256/www.bensinclair.com/dockapp/ Dock App Wharehouse] hosts 54 open-source dockapps. Other [[window managers]] quickly followed. In [[AfterStep]] in the
[http://wiki.afterstep.org/index.php?title=AfterStep_Applets_DataBase wharf].
In [[Blackbox]] and derivatives in the [https://man.archlinux.org/man/blackbox.1.en slit].
As of 2024, [https://www.dockapps.net dockapps.net] hosts 211 open-source dockapps in 14 categories. Usually their names start with 'wm' to distinguish them from non-dockapp applications.

Dedicated software libraries exist to support developing a dockapp:
*[https://repo.or.cz/dockapps.git/tree/HEAD:/libdockapp libdockapp] parses the command line and does events, pixmaps and shapes.
*[https://gai.sourceforge.net/ General Applet Interface] is one API for Dockapp, Gnome 2 panel and Rox panel.
*[https://ruby-dockapp.sourceforge.net/ Ruby-DockApp] is a [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]] library for making DockApps. 

== Protocol ==

For an application window to be recognized as a dockapp, a protocol must be followed. The [[ICCCM]] specifies the WM_HINTS property, which applications must set. It communicates the desired initial state of a window to the window manager. Common values are Normal and Iconic. For a dockapp, that state must be set to Withdrawn. The WM_HINTS also specifies the icon window to be used. Commonly, it has a dimension of 64 by 64 pixels.

In 2010, a second method was 
[https://repo.or.cz/w/wmaker-crm.git/commit/9318a7f added to Window Maker]. When the Class part of the WM_CLASS property is set to 'DockApp', the window is also recognized as a dockapp. The motivation was that in [[GTK]] it is impossible to create windows in the Withdrawn state. This method was also adopted by other window managers, like [[AfterStep]], [[Fluxbox]], [[Ion (window manager)|Ion]], [[Openbox]] and [[IceWM]].

== See also == 
*[[Dock (computing)]]
*[[Applet]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.dockapps.net dockapps.net] - a central repository for many dockapps
* [https://xdock.sourceforge.net/ xdock], [https://www.boblycat.org/~malc/icedock/ icedock] - applications that emulate a Window Maker dock in any window manager

[[Category:Desktop environments]]