---
name: "XpmCreateData"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libxpm"
version: "3.5.20-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/XpmCreateData"
---

# XpmCreateData(3)

create an Data structure

## NAME

XpmCreateData - create an Data structure

## SYNOPSIS

```
int XpmCreateDataFromImage(Display *display, char ***data_return,
XImage *image, XImage *shapeimage, XpmAttributes *attributes);
int XpmCreateDataFromPixmap(Display *display, char ***data_return,
Pixmap pixmap, Pixmap shapemask, XpmAttributes *attributes);
int XpmCreateDataFromXpmImage(char ***data_return, XpmImage *image,
XpmInfo *info);
```

## ARGUMENTS

- *display*

  Specifies the connection to the X server.

- *data\_return*

  Returns the data which is created.

- *pixmap*

  Specifies the pixmap.

- *shapemask*

  Specifies the shape mask pixmap.

- *attributes*

  Specifies the location of a structure containing information (or NULL).

- *info*

  Specifies the location of a structure to get information.

- *image*

  Specifies the image

## DESCRIPTION

### XpmCreateDataFromImage

In some cases, one may want to create an XPM data from an XImage, to do so use **XpmCreateDataFromImage**(). The **XpmCreateDataFromImage**() function exactly works as [**XpmWriteFileFromImage**(3)](/XpmWriteFileFromImage/3.md) does and returns the same way. It just writes to a single block malloc’ed data instead of to a file. It is the caller’s responsibility to free the data, using [**XpmFree**(3)](/XpmFree/3.md) when finished.

### XpmCreateDataFromPixmap

**XpmCreateDataFromPixmap**() creates an XPM data from a Pixmap. The **XpmCreateDataFromPixmap**() function uses [**XGetImage**(3)](/XGetImage/3.md) to get from the given pixmaps the related X images which are passed to **XpmCreateDataFromImage**(). Then it destroys the created images using [**XDestroyImage**(3)](/XDestroyImage/3.md). **XpmCreateDataFromPixmap**() returns the same errors as **XpmCreateDataFromImage**().

### XpmCreateDataFromXpmImage

**XpmCreateDataFromXpmImage**() creates an XPM data from an XpmImage. The **XpmCreateDataFromXpmImage**() function writes out the given image to a single block malloc’ed data in XPM format. If insufficient working storage is allocated, it returns **XpmNoMemory**, and returns **XpmSuccess** on success. If the passed XpmInfo structure pointer is not NULL, **XpmCreateDataFromXpmImage**() looks for the following attributes: XpmExtensions, and XpmHotspot, and writes the related information out as well. It is the caller’s responsibility to free the data, using [**XpmFree**(3)](/XpmFree/3.md) when finished.

## SEE ALSO

[**XpmFree**(3)](/XpmFree/3.md), [**XpmWriteFileFromImage**(3)](/XpmWriteFileFromImage/3.md)