Re: A Violent Realisation [Was: Preferences]



On Mon, 2002-04-29 at 20:16, Havoc Pennington wrote:
> gotten any more requests for the options. As I've said I think a
> "maximum size" option might be nice to add, but I don't think anyone
> using the current list is really missing the other 1.4 tasklist layout
> options.

Wrong again, "ui guru" ]:->

For less clutter in the task list, I usually used the task list to only
show minimized stuff, because it
  a) occupies less space on a thin panel than icons (like in
windowmaker, for instance)
  b) has FEWER entries in the task list, making it less confusing.

> I want to see how many viewport complaints we get once the grid-based
> keybindings are implemented. Then if we are still deluged we should
> try changing desktops to viewports, or (maybe) try adding edge
> flipping. Or maybe just try waiting for people to adapt, crazy as that
> is...

Wait a minute, you have ALL of this in viewports already, and it's
standard workspace/viewport behaviour in almost every windowmanager I've
ever used...

Reimplementing viewports feature set on workspaces when you can just use
viewports is... erms.. weird?

> But there are many things to try before we need to resort to having
> _both_ viewports and spaces. ;-)

They have their uses, let's explain one of them, probably the most
important:
 I set viewports to swithch when the mouse hits the edge.
 I set a 2 workspaces, 6 viewports columns environment, so I get
something like:

     1   +-+-+-+-+-+-+
    work | | | | | | |
     2   +-+-+-+-+-+-+
     fun | | | | | | |
     3   +-+-+-+-+-+-+

 I have the menu panel on top, and a slide menu autohiding in the
bottom.

 If I did a 6x2 grid with viewports alone, I would be in a hell to catch
either panel.

 Using two workspaces, I could slide from left to right and back, still
acceess the panels easily AND have a usefull 6x2 grid. One of the most
successfull things of the panel is conviniently display shortcut icons
for common apps I use..., holding stuff like the tasklist, a keyboard
layout switcher, etc.

> > To get this going, where should the code go? I don't know lisp, so I
> > don't think I can help on the sawfish side, but I'm interested in
> > writing C to get this function going into the "workspace switcher".
> It's mostly a specification issue, see wm-spec-list archives from this
> month.

Yes, the famouse wm-spec... the freedesktop.org isn't against workspaces
or viewports.... actually, it even seems to talk about only viewports or
virtually large screens!

I'm specially surprised of your arguments towards workspaces since
you're one of the main contributors to freedesktop.org.

Quoting:

Large Desktops

The Window Manager may offer to arrange the managed windows on a desktop
that is larger than the root window. The screen functions as a viewport
on this large desktop. Different policies regarding the positioning of
the viewport on the desktop can be implemented: The Window Manager may
only allow to change the viewport position in increments of the screen
size (paging) or it may allow arbitrary positions (scrolling).

To fulfill the ICCCM principle that clients should behave the same
regardless wether a Window Manager is running or not, Window Managers
which implement large desktops must interpret all client-provided
geometries with respect to the current viewport.

Regards

-- 
+ No matter how much you do, you never do enough -- unknown
+ Whatever you do will be insignificant,
| but it is very important that you do it -- Ghandi
+ So let's do it...?

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