internatom(3Tk)

NAME
     Tk_InternAtom, Tk_GetAtomName - manage cache of X atoms

SYNOPSIS
     #include <tk.h>

     Atom
     Tk_InternAtom(tkwin, name)

     char *
     Tk_GetAtomName(tkwin, atom)

ARGUMENTS
     Tk_Window   tkwin    (in)      Token for window.  Used to map atom or
                                    name relative to a particular display.

     char        *name    (in)      String name for which atom is desired.

     Atom        atom     (in)      Atom for which corresponding string name
                                    is desired.


DESCRIPTION
     These procedures are similar to the Xlib procedures XInternAtom and
     XGetAtomName.  Tk_InternAtom returns the atom identifier associated with
     string given by name;  the atom identifier is only valid for the display
     associated with tkwin.  Tk_GetAtomName returns the string associated with
     atom on tkwin's display.  The string returned by Tk_GetAtomName is in
     Tk's storage:  the caller need not free this space when finished with the
     string, and the caller should not modify the contents of the returned
     string.  If there is no atom atom on tkwin's display, then Tk_GetAtomName
     returns the string ``?bad atom?''.

     Tk caches the information returned by Tk_InternAtom and Tk_GetAtomName so
     that future calls for the same information can be serviced from the cache
     without contacting the server.  Thus Tk_InternAtom and Tk_GetAtomName are
     generally much faster than their Xlib counterparts, and they should be
     used in place of the Xlib procedures.


KEYWORDS
     atom, cache, display