Re: Decorations (again)

[Michael ROGERS <M Rogers cs ucl ac uk>]

>> The combination of visual categories and layer hints allows more
>> versatility - for example, instead of adding a "pinnable menu" category, we
>> can combine "toolbar" decorations with the "on top" hint.
>
>And end up with the pinnable menus from toolkit A setting the "on top"
>hint and the pinnable menus from toolkit B not - inconsistent behaviour
>from pinnable menus - hooray.  If it's a pinnable menu, call it a pinnable
>menu, and let the WM decide where it gets stacked.

Good point.

>> I think a combination of the "undecorated" visual category with the 
>> "below/desktop" hint is enough to distinguish desktop features from other 
>> windows. Docks might need their own category because the WM will probably 
>> want to keep them in the same place when the viewport is scrolled. However,
>> they are not visually any different from other undecorated windows, so it
>> might be better to add a "sticky" hint (no stacking order connotations 
>> intended). This would also allow decorated windows to request this behaviour.
>
>Hmm.  As I see it, the only one of our "categories" that cannot be
>construed as functional, as well as visual, is the undecorated category.
>This is why I felt that it should perhaps be a hint, rather than a
>category.

OK, you've convinced me. My previous argument (undecorated + toolbar doesn't
make sense) doesn't apply if the categories are functional. I suppose an MP3
player would be functionally a main window, but might wish to be undecorated.

>> However, layer hints allow an application to specify that a window is
>> *not* a normal application window, and should be stacked differently
>> *by default* (eg pinnable menus, desktop shortcuts).
>
>I think that applications should indicate that it is not a normal window
>by means of a *functional* hint.  I do not believe that functional
>descriptions are unworkable - in fact I believe our current category list
>comes close to being exactly that.  I think functional hints have a lot of
>useful, extra functionality to offer.

Well, I'm in favour of functional categories if we can keep the list fairly
short. If we add Desktop and Dock, and turn Undecorated into a hint, we can
probably do without the layer hints. So we have:

Categories:

Desktop feature
Dock
Toolbar
Menu
Dialog (default for transients)
Main window (default for top-level windows)

Hints:

Modal
Group modal
Sticky (not a stacking hint - applies to scrolling viewports)
(
Urgent (ICCCM)
Omnipresent (using DESKTOP hint)
Non-resizable (using SIZE hints)
)


Michael