Re: EWMH/HIG minimize buttons

[Carsten Haitzler (The Rasterman) <raster rasterman com>]

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:34:44 +0200 Ralf Stephan <ralf ark in-berlin de> babbled:

>   [also sent to hig gnome org]
> 
> Hello,
> Am I right in assuming that the terms 'dialog' and 'utility window'
> in the Gnome HIG correspond to the same terms used in the Extended 
> Window Manager Hints standard?
> 
> http://standards.freedesktop.org/wm-spec/wm-spec-1.4.html
> http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/
> 
> If so, then the HIG's guidelines involving minimize buttons on those
> windows can only be fulfilled by the window manager, as the app
> developer and Gtk can only give hints regarding the window type.
> 
> But then, window managers should be tested /wrt the Gnome HIG and,
> in particular, the creation of window decoration buttons should 
> be part of the EWMH, subject to the guidelines in the Gnome HIG.
> 
> IOW, I'm calling for harmonization between EWMH and HIG. That this
> is necessary is shown by the fact that, e.g., the Metacity WM is
> deemed EWMH conformant but dialog/utility window hints don't place a
> minimize button on the window while the HIG requires them there.

BUG everyone here I am sure woudl agree - HIG != EWMH. EWHM extends beyond
gnome and its HIG. It's up to a WM as to what it may decide to do given such
hints. The WM may not even handle it - it may pass this task onto the given
theme to handle as it sees fit. It may make other decisions, like removing
buttons if the window title is too small to fit them, despite what hints may
say, etc. I think what we have is perfectly fine. It's up to the GNOME group to
decide what to do - change Metactity, change the HIG, or use a different WM
they belive complies in their view, but the EWMH isn't about briging HIG into
the world of all WM's.

-- 
------------- Codito, ergo sum - "I code, therefore I am" --------------
The Rasterman (Carsten Haitzler)    raster rasterman com
裸好多                              raster deephackmode org
Tokyo, Japan (東京 日本)