From kde-core-devel  Wed May 09 09:49:48 2001
From: Lubos Lunak <l.lunak () sh ! cvut ! cz>
Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 09:49:48 +0000
To: kde-core-devel
Subject: Re: kdesktop wait cursor
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-core-devel&m=98940197223899

Dne st 9. kv=ECten 2001 11:18 gigafalk@yahoo.com napsal(a):
> Hi,
>
> Torsten Rahn wrote:
[snip]
> >
> > > The busy cursor seems to be a recurring topic. The last three times=
 it
> > > was discussed it wasn't a good idea and I don't think anything has
> > > changed since.
> >
> > Oh, yes. Something did change. We implemented the best solution
> > we had in mind that was *not* a busy-cursor. Unfortunately it turned
> > out that the current solution does not work for too many people.
> > If you look at newbies who have never used KDE you very
> > probably will notice that most users either don't notice the tiny
> > animation or that they only notice it by accident. While having no
> > taskbar it isn't even possible to get _any_ launch-feedback.
>
> This is very true. The current GUI approach for application launching i=
s
> not very intuitive for many users.
> That's why I second Torsten Rahn.
> The visual launch-feedback of the taskbar should be moved to the mouse
> cursor where it will be noticed by all users, immediately and in an eas=
y
> way.
> The mouse cursor could stay as an arrow but with the animated launch
> symbol, additionally.

 I'd like to stress the fact that this discussion shouldn't be about what=
 the=20
Only Right Way(tm) of doing it is, it's just about which one is going to =
be=20
the default. If there are users who have a peripheral device that can pat=
=20
them on their heads, they can ( should be able to ) turn the default off =
and=20
implement their own startup notification and use their implementation tha=
t=20
will pat them on their heads. I personally think the semi-busy cursor is =
the=20
most reasonable choice, with taskbar entries or kicker startup applet as=20
alternatives. If someone likes none of these, they can write their own co=
de=20
for their favourite head patting device.

 BTW, busy-cursor ... I'm still not sure how to implement it so that the=20
cursor will be changed for everything ( and I even don't know if it's tha=
t=20
good idea ). It's not a problem to change the cursor for kdesktop or kick=
er,=20
but it's can't be AFAIK done for all windows, because toplevel Qt widgets=
 set=20
the cursor to arrow. The idea with creating a little window for showing t=
he=20
busy-cursor is also not very good, because this window would have to be=20
somehow kept under the cursor even if the user moves the cursor, and even=
 if=20
the window keeps moving to the cursor position, it can't be transparent=20
AFAIK, so it would have to be shaped or we'll end up having square cursor=
 :).=20
 Does anyone know how to do it acceptably ? I've been happily avoiding th=
ings=20
like QPainter or QCursor till now.

 /me suspecting it's not going to be that easy

>
>
> Ciao,
> F@lk
>

 Lubos Lunak
--
 l.lunak@email.cz ; l.lunak@kde.org
 http://dforce.sh.cvut.cz/~seli