Syntax for resource specifications

A resource specification consists of the following components,

[client]*[restrictions*restrictions...]*resource_name: resource_value

where:

• client is the client or application to which you want this specification to apply. You can supply either the client's binary or class name. This component is optional; if you omit this part of the specification, the resource definition applies to all clients that support this resource.

• restrictions, usually in the form of widget names or classes, define the extent to which you want the resource definition to effect a client's appearance or behavior. You can only supply restrictions that are used and understood by the client(s) you are customizing, otherwise the resource specification is ignored. You can specify any number of restriction components, leaving the resource specification very general, or narrowing its focus to a discrete part of a client's functionality. This component is optional; if you omit this part of the specification, the resource definition applies to all relevant widgets of the specified client.
  

• resource_name is the actual resource variable that you want to define. Each client and each widget has a set of resources that it recognizes. (Refer to the client's manual page for a list of the resources that can be used to customize the application's behavior and appearance.) This component must be specified.

• resource_value is the value that you want to assign to the resource variable. For example, if you want to define a font resource, you would supply a font name as the value. Different resources require different types of input; an overview of the various resource values you can expect to use is provided in ``Specifying values in resource specifications''. Refer to the manual pages of the clients you want to configure for the values that are expected by the clients' supported resources.

• The various components of a resource specification are separated by a delimiter, in this case the asterisk ``*'' character. If you are unsure about what type of delimiter to use in a resource specification, you can always safely use the asterisk. The delimiters, also known as ``bindings'', are described later in ``Using delimiters in resource specifications''.

• A colon and whitespace separate the client, restrictions, and resource_name components from the resource_value.

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  NOTE: Be careful that you do not omit the colon at the end of a resource specification. This is an easy mistake to make and the resource manager does not provide any error messages. If there is an error in a resource specification, including a syntax error such as the omission of the colon, or a misspelling, the specification is ignored and the value you set does not take effect.

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The following examples show various combinations of the above components and describe the effects the resource specifications have on the system:

*foreground: yellow

specifies that the foreground color is yellow. Because no client is specified, the color applies to all clients. Because no restrictions are indicated, the color applies everywhere within all clients.

XClock*foreground: pink

specifies that the foreground color for the xclock client is pink. The specification applies to all aspects of the xclock client that use the foreground resource.

Xman*topBox*foreground: blue

specifies that the foreground color is blue for the topBox widget, which is xman's main options menu. The topBox component of the resource specification is a restriction, limiting the use of the foreground resource to a small portion of the xman client.