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+5 A:

Use _NET_WM_STRUT and _NET_WM_STRUT_PARTIAL (for backwards compatibility) properties to reserve space at the edge of X Window System desktop.

With PyGtk you can set these properties like so, assuming self.window is an instance of gtk.Window:

self.window.get_toplevel().show() # must call show() before property_change()
self.window.get_toplevel().window.property_change("_NET_WM_STRUT", 
    "CARDINAL", 32, gtk.gdk.PROP_MODE_REPLACE, [0, 0, 0, bottom_width])

Clarification on the data parameter [0, 0, 0, bottom_width] in above:

This parameter specifies the width of reserved space at each border of the desktop screen in order: [left, right, top, bottom]. So [0, 0, 0, 50] would reserve 50 pixels at the bottom of the desktop screen for your widget.

Here is a simple working example:

import gtk

class PyGtkWidgetDockExample:
    def __init__(self):
        self.window = gtk.Window(gtk.WINDOW_TOPLEVEL)
        self.window.set_default_size(100, gtk.gdk.screen_height())
        self.window.move(gtk.gdk.screen_width()-100, 0)
        self.window.set_type_hint(gtk.gdk.WINDOW_TYPE_HINT_DOCK)        
        self.window.show()          
        self.window.window.property_change("_NET_WM_STRUT", "CARDINAL", 32, 
            gtk.gdk.PROP_MODE_REPLACE, [0, 100, 0, 0])               

app = PyGtkWidgetDockExample()
gtk.main()

vls 2010-10-04 22:10:23

That's a huge help, and clarifies some of the code I found in PyPanel when attempting to solve this. I see the docs show this as property_change(property, type, format, mode, data)can you clarify the data being sent? I get the height, can you tell me about the zeros?

Josh 2010-10-04 22:21:43

@Josh: updated my post with answer to your question.

vls 2010-10-04 22:31:59

Hmm thanks for reply. I'm using screen = gtk.gdk.screen_get_default() root = screen.get_root_window() root.property_change("_NET_WM_STRUT", "CARDINAL", 32, gtk.gdk.PROP_MODE_REPLACE, [0, 0, 0, 64])with no luck. It's the root window you're referring to right? Or my application's window? I'm not having luck either way.

Josh 2010-10-04 22:33:27

Same when changing properties application's window. No errors but no apparent effect

Josh 2010-10-04 22:43:29

@Josh: you want to call `property_change` on the top level window of your app, which you can reference from any gtk.Window using `self.window.get_toplevel().window.property_change()`. If you go the route of `gtk.gdk.screen_get_default().get_root_window()`, it will return all gtk apps, through which you will have to loop to find your own, i.e.: `for i in gtk.gdk.screen_get_default().get_root_window().get_children()`. I updated my post with a working example, hopefully you can get this feature working in your application.

vls 2010-10-05 03:38:10

Is it possible you're testing with a window manager that doesn't support these properties?

Havoc P 2010-10-05 13:43:03

Fantastic! Got it! Thanks all, especially, vsemenov!

Josh 2010-10-05 18:40:25

For any future readers of this question, it appears that the properties must be set AFTER the show() method is called. I was stuck on that for about an hour.

Josh 2010-10-05 21:19:36

Updated answer highlighting having to call `show()` before `property_change()`.

vls 2010-10-06 00:22:13

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Preventing window overlap in GTK

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