x11desktopxdotool

Controlling an X-Window from a different virtual desktop without entering that X-Window's virtual desktop?

I'm using the XFCE4 desktop environment under Ubuntu 20.0.4.

I have several virtual desktops set up, each of which containing one or more applications which are running.

Is there any way I can run an X-Windows-based command from one desktop and have it manipulate a window in a different desktop, without switching desktops?

For example, suppose I have an xterm shell window running in virtual desktop 0, and that I currently am focused in virtual desktop 0.

And suppose I have a text editor window open in virtual desktop 1.

Is there any way for me to remain focused in desktop 0 and to run a command within the xterm shell window which will send text to the text editor window in desktop 1?

I don't want to see desktops shifting back and forth between desktop 0 and desktop 1 while this text is being sent to the text editor. I want to remain focused in desktop 0 for the entire duration of the running of this command.

I know I can use xdotool to send text to another X window, but xdotool only seems to function when the destination window is in the same virtual desktop which currently has the focus. For example, I can do the following with xdotool, but it won't work unless the destination window (referred to by $windowid in the following example) is in my currently viewed virtual desktop:

xdotool type --window $windowid Sample text

What I want is to send text and mouse clicks to windows in desktops that differ from the desktop that I'm currently viewing, and have the windows in those other desktops receive and respond to the text and mouse clicks without any switch to the other desktops taking place.

If necessary, I'm willing to write a program in C, C++, or pretty much any other language in order to implement this functionality.

But I'm wondering: is what I'm trying to do even possible in an X Windows environment?

Thank you very much in advance for any thoughts and suggestions.

Solution

  • Virtual Desktops:

    Most X servers have only a single screen. The window manager may virtualize this resource and offer multiple so-called 'virtual desktops', of which only one can be shown on the screen at a time. There is some variation among the features of virtual desktop implementations. There may be a fixed number of desktops, or new ones may be created dynamically. The size of the desktops may be fixed or variable.

    Implementation note

    There are at least two options for implementing virtual desktops. The first is to use multiple virtual roots and change the current desktop by manipulating the stacking order of the virtual roots.

    The second option is to keep all managed windows as children of the root window and unmap the frames of those which are not on the current desktop.

    In any case, you should study the Extended Window Manager Hints.
    These properties might be of interest to you:

    Root Window Properties:

    Application Window Properties:

    Xlib: