Re: call for other views [was Removing wm/pager interaction]

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

>APPROACH 1:
> Add property :
><quote>
>_NET_ACTIVE_DESKTOPS, CARDINAL[]
>
>This property MUST be set by WM to list numbers of all accessible virtual
>desktops.
>This Property must be updated whenever new desktop is added or removed.
></quote>
>
>all the other per-desktop properties will have the same length, and Ns
>element of any of those properties, will cary information related to
>the desktop number stored in Ns element of _NET_ACTIVE_DESKTOPS property.
>This approach will allow for dynamic adding/removing of the desktops
>in any order, sequence and with any number, at the same time it will
>inform any Pager or other app, if there are any gaps in desk numbering,
>that can indicate that some desk was removed from the middle of the list.
>Pagers may provide users with some visible signs in such a case.
>
>More that that  - it will provide information on what's been delete to
>Pager/windowmanager in case it restarts, and all internal logs are lost.
>It will also allow for that piece of info to be carried over to other WMs
>if user changes WM without exiting X.
>
>_NET_WM_DESKTOP of any window in that case will be refering to the desktop
>number whithin this list, thus making making situations when desktop is
>deleted from the middle of the list much easier to handle, making
>reparenting and updating of this property on ALL the windows placed
>on the desk, after the one being deleted unneeded.
>
>Also add something like:
>
><quote>
>When desktop is being deleted all the clients from this desktop must be
>moved to the next available desktop
>with smaller number. If it is not available - then to the next available
>desktop with higher number. If no other
>desktops are available - request will be denied.
></quote>

If we must have external pagers, I vote for this approach. (If I get a vote,
not being a wm hacker.)  :)


Michael