Re: window-in-window MDI

[Paul Warren <pdw ferret lmh ox ac uk>]

On Sat, 18 Mar 2000, Chris Jones wrote:
> Tom Gilbert <gilbertt@btinternet.com> wrote:

> > See the way the wm has no control over those child windows? 
> 
> Yes, it is a pity that the wm spec doesn't cover this sort of thing.

Well, it was discussed at length on the list and the conclusion was that:

1. Nobody could figure out a particularly neat way to do it.
2. None of the WM authors present where sufficiently keen on it that they
would actually implement it in their WMs even if it did go into the spec.

The exception was Matthias Ettrich from KDE/KWM, who said that he would be
putting WiW into Qt, and that he would also be putting WiW support into
the new KDE WM.  In order not to break with other WMs he will also have to
put in hacked (ie. non WM assisted) WiW support into Qt.  

If and when he does get WM assisted WiW support into his WM we will update
the spec (assuming we've actually got it finished by then...) and that can
be taken as a standard way to do WiW.

> > See how the buttons are in different places? 
> 
> Easily changed.

No it isn't.  You can't make it look like the WM without deep knowledge of
how themes work on any WM you're ever going to encounter.

> > See how it doesn't even follow *gtk* themes, let alone wm ones? 
> 
> That could probably be changed too.

Possibly.

> > See how it goes against all that is X and UNIX? 
> 
> How is that?

Tom has already replied to that - basically it breaks the single WM idea,
and you get a second completely different look and feel WM.

Paul