---
name: "XStringListToTextProperty"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libx11"
version: "1.8.14-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/XStringListToTextProperty"
---

# XStringListToTextProperty(3)

convert string lists and text property structure

## NAME

XStringListToTextProperty, XTextPropertyToStringList, XFreeStringList, XTextProperty - convert string lists and text property structure

## SYNTAX

Status XStringListToTextProperty(char \*\**list*, int *count*, XTextProperty \**text\_prop\_return*);

Status XTextPropertyToStringList(XTextProperty \**text\_prop*, char \*\*\**list\_return*, int \**count\_return*);

void XFreeStringList(char \*\**list*);

## ARGUMENTS

- *count*

  Specifies the number of strings.

- *count\_return*

  Returns the number of strings.

- *list*

  Specifies the list of strings to be freed.

- *list*

  Specifies a list of null-terminated character strings.

- *list\_return*

  Returns a list of null-terminated character strings.

- *text\_prop*

  Specifies the **XTextProperty** structure to be used.

- *text\_prop\_return*

  Returns the **XTextProperty** structure.

## DESCRIPTION

The **XStringListToTextProperty** function sets the specified **XTextProperty** to be of type STRING (format 8) with a value representing the concatenation of the specified list of null-separated character strings. An extra null byte (which is not included in the nitems member) is stored at the end of the value field of text\_prop\_return. The strings are assumed (without verification) to be in the STRING encoding. If insufficient memory is available for the new value string, **XStringListToTextProperty** does not set any fields in the **XTextProperty** structure and returns a zero status. Otherwise, it returns a nonzero status. To free the storage for the value field, use **XFree**.

The **XTextPropertyToStringList** function returns a list of strings representing the null-separated elements of the specified **XTextProperty** structure. The data in text\_prop must be of type STRING and format 8. Multiple elements of the property (for example, the strings in a disjoint text selection) are separated by NULL (encoding 0). The contents of the property are not null-terminated. If insufficient memory is available for the list and its elements, **XTextPropertyToStringList** sets no return values and returns a zero status. Otherwise, it returns a nonzero status. To free the storage for the list and its contents, use **XFreeStringList**.

The **XFreeStringList** function releases memory allocated by **XmbTextPropertyToTextList**, **Xutf8TextPropertyToTextList** and **XTextPropertyToStringList** and the missing charset list allocated by **XCreateFontSet**.

## STRUCTURES

The **XTextProperty** structure contains:

```
typedef struct {
        unsigned char *value;   /* property data */
        Atom encoding;  /* type of property */
        int format;     /* 8, 16, or 32 */
        unsigned long nitems;   /* number of items in value */
} XTextProperty;
```

## SEE ALSO

[**XAllocClassHint**(3)](/XAllocClassHint/3.md), [**XAllocIconSize**(3)](/XAllocIconSize/3.md), [**XAllocSizeHints**(3)](/XAllocSizeHints/3.md), [**XAllocWMHints**(3)](/XAllocWMHints/3.md), [**XFree**(3)](/XFree/3.md), [**XSetCommand**(3)](/XSetCommand/3.md), [**XSetTransientForHint**(3)](/XSetTransientForHint/3.md), [**XSetTextProperty**(3)](/XSetTextProperty/3.md), [**XSetWMClientMachine**(3)](/XSetWMClientMachine/3.md), [**XSetWMColormapWindows**(3)](/XSetWMColormapWindows/3.md), [**XSetWMIconName**(3)](/XSetWMIconName/3.md), [**XSetWMName**(3)](/XSetWMName/3.md), [**XSetWMProperties**(3)](/XSetWMProperties/3.md), [**XSetWMProtocols**(3)](/XSetWMProtocols/3.md)\
 *Xlib - C Language X Interface*