---
name: "XmTabCreate"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "openmotif"
version: "2.3.8-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/XmTabCreate"
---

# XmTabCreate(3)

A convenience function that creates a tab stop

## NAME

**XmTabCreate** — A convenience function that creates a tab stop

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <Xm/Xm.h>
XmTab XmTabCreate(
float value,
unsigned char units,
XmOffsetModel offset_model,
unsigned char alignment,
char *decimal);
```

## DESCRIPTION

**XmTabCreate** creates a tab stop at a position defined by the *value* and *units* arguments.

- *value*

  Specifies the floating point value to be used in conjunction with *units* to calculate the location of the tab stop. Note that negative values are not permitted.

- *units*

  Specifies the unit type (for example, **XmMILLIMETERS**) to be used in conjunction with *value* to calculate the location of the tab stop. You can specify any unit described by the **XmConvertUnits** reference page. For resources of type, dimension, or position, you can specify units as described in the **XmNunitType** resource of the **XmGadget**, **XmManager**, or **XmPrimitive** reference page.

- *offset\_model*

  Specifies whether the tab value represents an absolute position or a relative offset from the previous tab. Valid values are **XmABSOLUTE** and **XmRELATIVE**.

- *alignment*

  Specifies how the text should be aligned relative to this tab stop. Valid values are **XmALIGNMENT\_BEGINNING**.

- *decimal*

  Specifies the multibyte character in the current language environment to be used as the decimal point for a decimal aligned tab stop. This is currently unused.

## RETURN

Returns a newly allocated **XmTab**. The application is responsible for managing this allocated space. The application can recover this allocated space by calling **XmTabFree**.

## RELATED

[**XmTab**(3)](/XmTab/3.md) and [**XmTabFree**(3)](/XmTabFree/3.md).