From kde-devel Sun Aug 29 20:06:16 2004 From: Kevin Krammer Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 20:06:16 +0000 To: kde-devel Subject: Invisible Kicker (Was Re: http://asia.cnet.com/news/software/0, Message-Id: <200408292206.16821.kevin.krammer () gmx ! at> X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-devel&m=109381009600990 On Saturday 28 August 2004 00:31, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote: > > remove panel.desktop from KDEPREFIX/share/autostart > > okay, examining that file shows that it runs kicker. > > if i stop kicker, it stops the ability to run "dcop kicker kicker > popupKMenu 0" and have it work. Obviously as long as no other program registeres as DCOP client "kicker" Fortunately this is possible, for DCOP "kicker" is just a name, not bound to the name of the program. > i want to have the _option_ to provide an alternative to the kicker > panel system. Not sure but I think panels are some kind of Kicker plugins, so it could be possible to have your own. See Kasbar http://xmelegance.org/kasbar/ > and, with kicker providing the total domination and exclusive access > point of the "menu" system to applications, AND also having no way to > disable "panels" fully (that i can find), _that's_ what i mean by bad > design. Well, a panel without visible parts would be ridiculous. Your design, to rely on the program you actually want to replace, is bad design. > you get everything - or you get nothing. > > there is no choice. There is the choice to do it properly, i.e. registering a DCOP client "kicker" with interface "kicker" > superkaramba is EXCELLENT. i am writing systray themes, running-program > bar themes, rolling-bar themes, sub-menuing themes, and i'm considering > doing a "tabbed" theme that will activate a rolling-bar sub-menu theme, > because a "tabbed" theme will provide maximum useable screen space. Why not implement the menu as well? > to have applications be chooseable if you double-click on a document > or right-click on a document to select the application/mime-type, i have > to have this program called "kicker" which has a user interface that is No, this is handled by the KRun API. Any KDE application can easily use this. > i do not _want_ to be forced into a position where i must do > "all or nothing", which is what kicker's design forces all programmers > considering writing alternative desktop interfaces to do. Well, if you don't want a program, you cannot expect the program to offer only parts of its functionality. But this is free software, you can implement a stub that contains only what you want. I don't see how having a program that does more than just contain the application menu is remotely related to bad design. > i am employing an incremental development technique called > "not biting off more than you can chew". Well, then you either don't have functionality you don't provide or run parallel to the program that can. > in other words, i want to be able to give users the choice, > _plus_ i want to be able to tackle each step one-at-a-time. The only bit you seem to miss is the menu, so perhaps you should tackle the step "menu" next. > if i end up with no choice (because the developers do not feel like > putting in a switch to disable the panel of kicker) then i will. You are free to do so. > > > can i make my superkaramba theme be what RESPONDS to "dcop kicker > that's the bit that i don't want to tackle right now - so i am going > for a "hack". > > i am, as i mentioned, FORCED into running kicker, i have to select the > "panel" options which make it: > > - transparent with no colour > - 1% wide > - auto-hide > - small fonts > > etc. > > this is ridiculous: there should just be an option to switch it off! You can hide kicker's main panel like any other QWidget through its DCOP API. dcop kicker qt/Panel hide But I really believe you should think about your design a little bit and arrive at the decision that providing the menu yourself serves your users best. Cheers, Kevin -- Kevin Krammer Qt/KDE Developer, Debian User www.mrunix.de - Unix/Linux programming forum www.qtforum.org - Qt programming forum >> Visit http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to unsubscribe <<