Re: some thought about fast app switch (gnome-shell's taskbar)

[Colin Walters <walters verbum org>]

Hi Feng,

On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 6:11 AM, feng shu <tumashu gmail com> wrote:

> I have a  idea about fast app switch (gnome-shell's "taskbar"),very
> very simple ,I think  use the bar showed when type ALT-TAB as
> gnome-shell's  "new" taskbar is a good idea .
> (big icon, easy look and at the middle of desktop ),all we need to do
> is add some code  that we can use mouse button :-)

This is a reasonable premise; I think in general we want to design
things so that you can do the majority of the most common tasks
primarily with the mouse or with the keyboard (exclusive or).

> 1. the area of the whole desktop except desktop app icon is  hot area
> to activate  "taskbar",
> when mouse arrow is in this area, the taskbar show ,
> when mouse arrow is not in this area (example on some app or
> on the desktop icon ) , the taskbar  disappear. if no app open,
> the taskbar  disappear.

Where would it pop up here?  If it's around the mouse pointer then it
could be problematic if you were moving the mouse in that direction.
And this seems prone to be visually distracting.

> 2. taskbar show, when you click right mouse button on the desktop area, the
> app switch right when you click left mouse button , the app switch left ,
>    the reason is that gnome-share manager apps, desktop people don't
> open to many apps general,so mouse click may few  .
> (note: the mouse arrow can click on the desktop to switch app  and not
> need click the icon on the taskbar)

Hmm; what do you mean by "taskbar"?  A list of windows in the order
they were opened like in GNOME 2?  I'm a little unsure about depending
on right click versus left click.

> Method 2:
>
> 1. the area of the whole desktop except desktop app icon is  hot area
> to activate  "taskbar",
> when click left mouse button, the "taskbar" show , click right button,
> the "taskbar" disappear
> ,may be like autocad....
>
> 2.when "taskbar" show, click left mouse button on the desktop, app
> switch, click right mouse button, the "taskbar" dissapear

This seems similar to the above one?

> Method 3:
>
> like Method 1, the different is that the area to activate "taskbar" is
> on the  top bar (activities bar) , it can one/two buttons on the top
> bar or
> whole topbar except other app button

Would be a larger change to the design but seems worth experimenting
with I think.