gtk2/docs/reference/gtk/windows.xml

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<refentry id="gtk-windows">
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>Using GTK on Windows</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>3</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo>GTK Library</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>

<refnamediv>
<refname>Using GTK on Windows</refname>
<refpurpose>
Windows-specific aspects of using GTK
</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsect1>
<title>Using GTK on Windows</title>

<para>
The Windows port of GTK is an implementation of GDK (and therefore GTK)
on top of the Win32 API. When compiling GTK on Windows, this backend is
the default.
</para>

<refsect2 id="win32-cmdline">
<title>Windows-specific commandline options</title>

<para>
The Windows GDK backend can be influenced with some
additional command line arguments.
</para>

<formalpara>
<title><systemitem>--sync</systemitem></title>

<para>
Don't batch GDI requests. This might be a marginally useful option for 
debugging.
</para>
</formalpara>

<formalpara>
<title><systemitem>--no-wintab</systemitem>, 
       <systemitem>--ignore-wintab</systemitem></title>

<para>
Don't use the Wintab API for tablet support.
</para>
</formalpara>

<formalpara>
<title><systemitem>--use-wintab</systemitem></title>

<para>
Use the Wintab API for tablet support.  This is the default.
</para>
</formalpara>

<formalpara>
<title><systemitem>--max-colors <replaceable>number</replaceable></systemitem></title>

<para>
In 256 color mode, restrict the size of the color palette to 
the specified number of colors. This option is obsolete.
</para>
</formalpara>

</refsect2>

<refsect2 id="win32-envar">
<title>Windows-specific environment variables</title>

<para>
The Win32 GDK backend can be influenced with some
additional environment variables.
</para>

<formalpara>
<title><envar>GDK_IGNORE_WINTAB</envar></title>

<para>
If this variable is set, GTK doesn't use 
the Wintab API for tablet support.
</para>
</formalpara>

<formalpara>
<title><envar>GDK_USE_WINTAB</envar></title>

<para>
If this variable is set, GTK uses the Wintab API for 
tablet support.  This is the default.
</para>
</formalpara>

<formalpara>
<title><envar>GDK_WIN32_MAX_COLORS</envar></title>

<para>
Specifies the size of the color palette used
in 256 color mode.
</para>
</formalpara>

</refsect2>

<refsect2 id="win32-cursors">
<title>Windows-specific handling of cursors</title>

<para>
By default the "system" cursor theme is used. This makes GTK prefer cursors
that Windows currently uses, falling back to Adwaita cursors and (as the last
resort) built-in X cursors.
</para>
<para>
When any other cursor theme is used, GTK will prefer cursors from that theme,
falling back to Windows cursors and built-in X cursors.
</para>
<para>
Theme can be changed by setting <literal>gtk-cursor-theme-name</literal> GTK setting. Users can override GTK settings in the <filename>settings.ini</filename> file or at runtime in the GTK Inspector.
</para>
<para>
Themes are loaded from normal Windows variants of the XDG locations:
<filename>%HOME%/icons/THEME/cursors</filename>, 
<filename>%APPDATA%/icons/THEME/cursors</filename>, 
<filename>RUNTIME_PREFIX/share/icons/THEME/cursors</filename>.
</para>
<para>
The <literal>gtk-cursor-theme-size</literal> setting is ignored, GTK will use the cursor size that Windows tells it to use.
</para>

</refsect2>

<para>
More information about GTK on Windows, including detailed build
instructions, binary downloads, etc, can be found
<ulink url="https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GTK/Win32">online</ulink>.
</para>

</refsect1>

</refentry>