Re: Sticky vs All Desktops

[Lubos Lunak <l lunak suse cz>]

On Thursday 23 of January 2003 14:15, Ben Jansens wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I'd like to get some options in regards to the Sticky window state vs
> the All Desktops (0xffffffff) hint.
>
> Here's the problem:
>
> The Sticky window state as stated in the spec, and, as I've previously
> known it, is to keep a window in a fixed position while scrolling  a
> virtual desktop.
>
> The Sticky window state as most application developers and users seem
> to see it, is that the window will not disappear when switching
>  between  virtual desktops, i.e. it exists on all desktops.

 I think this is just a bad name choosing for Sticky and that state should 
have been named differently. IMHO the spec is clear that 'sticky' means 'not 
moving when large desktop scrolls', even though many people see 'sticky' as 
'on all virtual desktops' (KDE for example). I wasn't on this list at that 
time, but 
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/wm-spec-list/1999-December/thread.html shows 
that some people were confused about this even when it was discussed (and 
some people also objected about using the name there, I don't know why it 
made it in :( ).

 As I understand it, Sticky and On All Desktops are two different things in 
the spec.

>
> The EWMH already provide for this with the 0xffffffff desktop. Is it
> breaking the spec to send a window to 0xffffffff when i receive a
> request to add the Sticky state to the window?

 IMHO yes, because you're mixing two things. KWin (kwin_iii branch) handles 
these two things independently (well, Sticky is "handled" by ignoring it :), 
as KWin doesn't implement large desktops).

>
> Are the applications wrong to provide a 'Sticky' setting but not an
> 'All Desktops' setting? What is the recommended course of action for this?

 Applications? Which ones? Isn't this the job of the WM?

-- 
Lubos Lunak
KDE developer
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SuSE CR, s.r.o.  e-mail: l lunak suse cz , l lunak kde org
Drahobejlova 27  tel: +420 2 9654 2373
190 00 Praha 9   fax: +420 2 9654 2374
Czech Republic   http://www.suse.cz/