---
name: "XGetDeviceModifierMapping"
section: "3x"
platform: "linux"
package: "libxi-dev"
version: "4.3.0.dfsg.1-14sarge7"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/XGetDeviceModifierMapping/3x"
---

# XGetDeviceModifierMapping(3x)

query or change device modifier mappings

## NAME

XGetDeviceModifierMapping, XSetDeviceModifierMapping - query or change device modifier mappings

## SYNTAX

**int XSetDeviceModifierMapping(Display \****display***, XDevice** **\****device***, XModifierKeymap  \****modmap***);**

**XModifierKeymap \*XGetDeviceModifierMapping(Display \****display***, XDevice** **\****device***);**

## ARGUMENTS

- *display*

  *Specifies the connection to the X server.*

- *device*

  *Specifies the device whose modifier mapping is to be queried or modified.*

- *modmap*

  *Specifies a pointer to the XModifierKeymap structure.*

## DESCRIPTION

*The XSetDeviceModifierMapping* *request specifies the KeyCodes of the keys (if any) that are to be used*  *as modifiers for the specified device.* *If it succeeds, the X server generates a DeviceMappingNotify* *event, and XSetDeviceModifierMapping returns MappingSuccess.* *X permits at most eight modifier keys.* *If more than eight are specified in the* *XModifierKeymap structure, a BadLength* *error results.*

*The modifiermap member of the XModifierKeymap* *structure contains eight sets of max\_keypermod KeyCodes,*  *one for each modifier in the order*  *Shift,* *Lock,* *Control,* *Mod1,* *Mod2,* *Mod3,* *Mod4,* *and*  *Mod5.* *Only nonzero KeyCodes have meaning in each set,*  *and zero KeyCodes are ignored.* *In addition, all of the nonzero KeyCodes must be in the range specified by*  *min\_keycode and max\_keycode as returned by* *XListInputDevices, or a BadValue* *error results.* *No KeyCode may appear twice in the entire map,* *or a* *BadValue* *error results.*

*An X server can impose restrictions on how modifiers can be changed,*  *for example,* *if certain keys do not generate up transitions in hardware,* *if auto-repeat cannot be disabled on certain keys,* *or if multiple modifier keys are not supported.*   *If some such restriction is violated,*  *the status reply is* *MappingFailed,* *and none of the modifiers are changed.* *If the new KeyCodes specified for a modifier differ from those* *currently defined and any (current or new) keys for that modifier are* *in the logically down state,*  *XSetDeviceModifierMapping* *returns MappingBusy,* *and none of the modifiers is changed.*

*XSetDeviceModifierMapping* *can generate BadLengthP, BadDevice, BadMatch, BadAlloc,* *and BadValue errors.*

*The* *XGetDeviceModifierMapping* *request returns a pointer to a newly created* *XModifierKeymap* *structure that contains the keys being used as modifiers.* *The structure should be freed after use by calling* *XFreeModifierMapping .* *If only zero values appear in the set for any modifier,*  *that modifier is disabled.*

*XGetDeviceModifierMapping* *can generate BadDevice and BadMatch errors.*

## STRUCTURES

*The XModifierKeymap structure contains:*

```
typedef struct {
	int max_keypermod;
	KeyCode *modifiermap;
} XModifierKeymap;
```

## DIAGNOSTICS

- *BadLength*

  *More than eight keys were specified in the* *XModifierKeymap structure.*

- *BadAlloc*

  *The server failed to allocate the requested resource or server memory.*

- *BadDevice*

  *An invalid device was specified.  The specified device does not exist or has*  *not been opened by this client via XOpenInputDevice.  This error may* *also occur if the specified device is the X keyboard or X pointer device.*

- *BadMatch*

  *This error may occur if an XGetDeviceModifierMapping*  *or XChangeDeviceModifierMapping request was made*  *specifying* *a device that has no keys.*

- *BadValue*

  *Some numeric value falls outside the range of values accepted by the request.* *Unless a specific range is specified for an argument, the full range defined* *by the argument's type is accepted.  Any argument defined as a set of* *alternatives can generate this error.*

## SEE ALSO

*XSetDeviceKeyMapping(3X11)* \
 *XSetDeviceButtonMapping(3X11)* \
 *Programming With Xlib*