## GtkTooltips

GtkTooltips — Add tips to your widgets

## Synopsis

    #include <gtk/gtk.h>

                GtkTooltips;
                GtkTooltipsData;
    GtkTooltips* gtk_tooltips_new               (void);
    void        gtk_tooltips_enable             (GtkTooltips *tooltips);
    void        gtk_tooltips_disable            (GtkTooltips *tooltips);
    void        gtk_tooltips_set_delay          (GtkTooltips *tooltips,
                                                 guint delay);
    void        gtk_tooltips_set_tip            (GtkTooltips *tooltips,
                                                 GtkWidget *widget,
                                                 const gchar *tip_text,
                                                 const gchar *tip_private);
    GtkTooltipsData* gtk_tooltips_data_get      (GtkWidget *widget);
    void        gtk_tooltips_force_window       (GtkTooltips *tooltips);
    gboolean    gtk_tooltips_get_info_from_tip_window
                                                (GtkWindow *tip_window,
                                                 GtkTooltips **tooltips,
                                                 GtkWidget **current_widget);

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----GtkObject
             +----GtkTooltips

## Description

Tooltips are the messages that appear next to a widget when the mouse pointer is held over it for a short amount of time. They are especially helpful for adding more verbose descriptions of things such as buttons in a toolbar.

An individual tooltip belongs to a group of tooltips. A group is created with a call to `gtk_tooltips_new()`. Every tooltip in the group can then be turned off with a call to `gtk_tooltips_disable()` and enabled with `gtk_tooltips_enable()`.

The length of time the user must keep the mouse over a widget before the tip is shown, can be altered with `gtk_tooltips_set_delay()`. This is set on a 'per group of tooltips' basis.

To assign a tip to a particular GtkWidget, `gtk_tooltips_set_tip()` is used.

### Note

Tooltips can only be set on widgets which have their own X window. To check if a widget has its own window use `GTK_WIDGET_NO_WINDOW()`. To add a tooltip to a widget that doesn't have its own window, place the widget inside a GtkEventBox and add a tooltip to that instead.

The default appearance of all tooltips in a program is determined by the current GTK+ theme that the user has selected.

Information about the tooltip (if any) associated with an arbitrary widget can be retrieved using `gtk_tooltips_data_get()`.

Example 2. Adding tooltips to buttons.

       GtkWidget *load_button, *save_button, *hbox;
       GtkTooltips *button_bar_tips;

       button_bar_tips = gtk_tooltips_new ();

       /* Create the buttons and pack them into a GtkHBox */
       hbox = gtk_hbox_new (TRUE, 2);

       load_button = gtk_button_new_with_label ("Load a file");
       gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (hbox), load_button, TRUE, TRUE, 2);
       gtk_widget_show (load_button);

       save_button = gtk_button_new_with_label ("Save a file");
       gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (hbox), save_button, TRUE, TRUE, 2);
       gtk_widget_show (save_button);
       gtk_widget_show (hbox);

       /* Add the tips */
       gtk_tooltips_set_tip (GTK_TOOLTIPS (button_bar_tips), load_button,
    				 "Load a new document into this window",
    				 "Requests the filename of a document.
    				  This will then be loaded into the current
    				  window, replacing the contents of whatever
    				  is already loaded.");
       gtk_tooltips_set_tip (GTK_TOOLTIPS (button_bar_tips), save_button,
    				 "Saves the current document to a file",
    				 "If you have saved the document previously,
    				  then the new version will be saved over the
    				  old one. Otherwise, you will be prompted for
    				  a filename.");

## Details

### GtkTooltips

    typedef struct _GtkTooltips GtkTooltips;

Holds information about a group of tooltips. Fields should be changed using the functions provided, rather than directly accessing the struct's members.

### GtkTooltipsData

    typedef struct {
      GtkTooltips *tooltips;
      GtkWidget *widget;
      gchar *tip_text;
      gchar *tip_private;
    } GtkTooltipsData;

`tooltips` is the GtkTooltips group that this tooltip belongs to. `widget` is the GtkWidget that this tooltip data is associated with. `tip_text` is a string containing the tooltip message itself.

`tip_private` is a string that is not shown as the default tooltip. Instead, this message may be more informative and go towards forming a context-sensitive help system for your application. (FIXME: how to actually "switch on" private tips?)

### gtk_tooltips_new ()

    GtkTooltips* gtk_tooltips_new               (void);

Creates an empty group of tooltips. This function initialises a GtkTooltips structure. Without at least one such structure, you can not add tips to your application.

Returns : | a new GtkTooltips group for you to use.

### gtk_tooltips_enable ()

    void        gtk_tooltips_enable             (GtkTooltips *tooltips);

Allows the user to see your tooltips as they navigate your application.

`tooltips` : | a GtkTooltips.

### gtk_tooltips_disable ()

    void        gtk_tooltips_disable            (GtkTooltips *tooltips);

Causes all tooltips in `tooltips` to become inactive. Any widgets that have tips associated with that group will no longer display their tips until they are enabled again with `gtk_tooltips_enable()`.

`tooltips` : | a GtkTooltips.

### gtk_tooltips_set_delay ()

    void        gtk_tooltips_set_delay          (GtkTooltips *tooltips,
                                                 guint delay);

### Warning

`gtk_tooltips_set_delay` is deprecated and should not be used in newly-written code.

Sets the time between the user moving the mouse over a widget and the widget's tooltip appearing.

`tooltips` : | a GtkTooltips.
`delay` : | an integer value representing seconds (FIXME: double-check this).

### gtk_tooltips_set_tip ()

    void        gtk_tooltips_set_tip            (GtkTooltips *tooltips,
                                                 GtkWidget *widget,
                                                 const gchar *tip_text,
                                                 const gchar *tip_private);

Adds a tooltip containing the message `tip_text` to the specified GtkWidget.

`tooltips` : | a GtkTooltips.
`widget` : | the GtkWidget you wish to associate the tip with.
`tip_text` : | a string containing the tip itself.
`tip_private` : | a string of any further information that may be useful if the user gets stuck.

### gtk_tooltips_data_get ()

    GtkTooltipsData* gtk_tooltips_data_get      (GtkWidget *widget);

Retrieves any GtkTooltipsData previously associated with the given widget.

`widget` : | a GtkWidget.
Returns : | a GtkTooltipsData struct, or `NULL` if the widget has no tooltip.

### gtk_tooltips_force_window ()

    void        gtk_tooltips_force_window       (GtkTooltips *tooltips);

Ensures that the window used for displaying the given `tooltips` is created.

Applications should never have to call this function, since GTK+ takes care of this.

`tooltips` : | a GtkToolTips

### gtk_tooltips_get_info_from_tip_window ()

    gboolean    gtk_tooltips_get_info_from_tip_window
                                                (GtkWindow *tip_window,
                                                 GtkTooltips **tooltips,
                                                 GtkWidget **current_widget);

Determines the tooltips and the widget they belong to from the window in which they are displayed.

This function is mostly intended for use by accessibility technologies; applications should have little use for it.

`tip_window` : | a GtkWindow
`tooltips` : | the return location for the tooltips which are displayed in `tip_window`, or `NULL`
`current_widget` : | the return location for the widget whose tooltips are displayed, or `NULL`
Returns : | `TRUE` if `tip_window` is displaying tooltips, otherwise `FALSE`.

Since 2.4

## See Also

GtkToolbar | Create groups of widgets with their own tooltips.
GtkTipsQuery | Query tooltips to create context-sensitive help.