Re: [Nautilus-list] Desktop window

["Blad, John Erling" <john erling blad aftenposten no>]

> Nautilus doesn't require TrueColor visuals.

This was not the issue, only an example.

>1) It allows drawing the icons and text anti-aliased.

Nice but if you screw a major part of the users then you should done
it somewhat different.

>2) It avoids having to create a bunch of shaped windows, one for each
>   desktop icon. Doing this is bad for performance.

This is highly dependant of the X-server and the hardware. There is some
tools in most X distros you canb use to check this out. On a WinTel you
will get very fast redraws even if the client have to cache a lot of info
(backstore) while on remote displays you will gain a lot by usiing pixmaps
and windows (structures that describes the actual windows). The reason
for this is that this information is stored in the server.

>3) It allows sharing more code with the normal icon view. Doing things
>   the shaped window way would require a completely separate
>   implementation.

Not an issue.

>4) It allows focusing the desktop.

I can't see why a filemanager should have the responsibility for this.

>5) It allows Nautilus to use a better visual for drawing the
>   background than the default, if there are multiple visuals and the
>   default is not the best.

It is usually a reason why the user has choosen to use some visual over
another. The most common reason for this is **GAMES**. Add to this the
simple fact that most X-servers can't run two visuals at the same time..

Seems to me you will have a lot of angry users out there.

I know a little about this because I have implemented a lib for fast
redraws of map-like graphics on a X-server. When you try to implement
something like that with a constraint to run on *any* hardware and run
*fast* you can't just choose any visual you like.

If you have to force a spesific visual I can't see Nautilus as *the*
file manager.

The same holds for the color table.

>6) It allows Nautilus to easily add a right-click menu to the desktop.

I can't see why a filemanager should have the responsibility for this.

> - Maciej

John