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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Taskbar -> tabbar?
From:       Maurizio Colucci <seguso.forever () tin ! it>
Date:       2004-12-29 22:19:43
Message-ID: 41D32D7F.8080905 () tin ! it
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Luke-Jr wrote:
> On Wednesday 29 December 2004 9:07 pm, Maurizio Colucci wrote:
> 
>> * the taskbar is decoupled from kicker and becomes a tab bar (like
>> the tab bar in konqueror, for tabbed browsing). Each button in the
>> taskbar becomes a tab.
> 
> 
> Why decouple it from kicker? You can just add a panel with only the 
> Task/tabbar in it...

I'm not sure how this would look.

>> * when you click a tab, the corresponding window is shown as
>> maximized.
> 
> 
> IMO, most programs really should not be maximized... (web browsers at
>  ~640x480, etc). The only program I maximize is Kontact (because it
> really doesn't work resized :/)

Personally, when I see an app that is not minimized (e.g. a text file), 
I have an uneasy feeling of looking into a peephole. :-)


> 
> 
>> * (optional) the "tabified" taskbar has a button which allows
>> setting the order of the windows: by creation time, by last usage
>> time. (in the screenshot, this button is shown on the left end of
>> the tab bar).
> 
> 
> I think I'd much prefer a tabbar that doesn't sort, but allows me to
> manually rearrange the order.

A dynamic sort by recent usage would make it easy to continuously toggle 
between two windows. Also, to cycle between three windows. Currently, 
this is difficult if you have, say, 10 windows open.

I guess the "minimize window" button was invented to make it easy to 
toggle between two windows, but it is not a good solution IMHO.

> When a new tab is added, it goes to the
> right of its parent window (or the currently selected one for new
> apps)

I'm curious why you would want to do that.

> 
>> ---
>> 
>> This approach has some (deliberate) limitations:
>> 
>> * the new "tabified" taskbar and pager can only be located on top
>> of the screen. You loose the option to anchor them on the four
>> edges of the screen.
> 
> 
> I believe I've seen tabbars that rotate text for the left/right
> sides... Might be annoying, though...

Maybe not... A vertical layout conveys the idea of "order", and it might 
be more intuitive if the windows are sorted by usage time.

> There's also the possibility of
> having the same visual effect as the current taskbar. I also see no
> reason your current idea cannot work unmodified on the bottom of the
> desktop..

It would look strange to me, but I guess it could.

>> * only one window is visible at a time.
> 
> 
> Very annoying.

Why? Your conscious attention can only be focused on one thing at a 
time. The point is (IMHO) to make it easy to switch window when you want 
to change the focus of your attention. It must be easy to toggle between 
two windows. My preferred solution is to sort the windows by recent usage.


>> * windows cannot be minimized. The only way to have a window
>> disappear is to click another one.
> 
> 
> A "desktop only" tab on the pager?

IMHO, the desktop should not have icons (the trashcan etc should be 
moved to the kicker). However, I guess such a button could be added. :-)
> 
> 
>> * you loose the option known as "taskbar grouping".
> 
> 
> You can easilly replace this by having a 3rd tabbar with windows
> owned by a particular application. Basically, this would make
> Konqueror's native tabbed browsing support unneccesary since it would
> automatically have the same effect.


That's a *great* idea, because

1. all apps would gain tabbed-browsing "for free". Apps like kwrite 
would not need to support for tabbed browsing via code anymore. This 
would simplify the codebases a lot.

2. it is better than "taskbar grouping", because taskbar grouping forces 
you to select the window each time (one click more), whereas here the 
window manager would remember the last used window.


---

Maurizio
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