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List:       kde-bugs-dist
Subject:    [Bug 119323] New: Window On-All-Desktops has Wrong Z-Index when
From:       Mats Ahlgren <ahlgren () mit ! edu>
Date:       2005-12-31 22:00:14
Message-ID: 20051231230012.119323.ahlgren () mit ! edu
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http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=119323         
           Summary: Window On-All-Desktops has Wrong Z-Index when Switching
                    Desktops
           Product: kdesktop
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: Ubuntu Packages
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: NOR
         Component: general
        AssignedTo: faure kde org
        ReportedBy: ahlgren mit edu


Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.4.3)
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages

Situation:
I have a terminal which I keep on all of my desktops. When I switch between desktops \
(e.g. Desktop 1 to Desktop 2), the terminal won't be as I left it; instead it will do \
any one of these things:

1- It was previously below a window in Desktop 2, now it is above all windows.
2- It was previously above a window in Desktop 2, now it is below all windows. (I \
think?) 3- The terminal is now above all windows, but out-of-focus -- really weird.
4- Perhaps the terminal might even switch orders within a set of windows.
5- Etc. -- I haven't checked all possibilities...

This odd behavior seems to be influenced by whether the window was in or out of focus \
in Desktop A, and perhaps might even be influenced by the z-index of the window in \
Desktop A (if KDE uses such a system).

I'm guessing this stems from the problem that window focus behavior is undefined when \
a window is on multiple desktops and the user switches between desktops.

It seems the proper behavior would be such:
Windows on multiple desktops have desktop-specific positioning: i.e. if the window \
stack is: Firefox | Terminal | AmaroK on Desktop B, then nomatter where Terminal is \
in Desktop A, it will stay sandwiched between Firefox and AmaroK on Desktop B.

(( This seems to me to be good default behavior. If the develops wish to, however, do \
anything else fancy (which I suggest against doing), this seems to be the only way to \
go about doing anything 'fancy':

It seems the only way to ensure sane behavior in keeping window positioning is to do \
this: Add a new option to "window-specific options": "Keep window positioning between \
desktops (not recommended)."

It works as so (illustrative example):
When you switch desktops from A->B->C->D quickly in succession (no more than 1 second \
intervals between each switch), KDE looks at the top window of Desktop A. If this \
window has the above window-specific option set to true, then it will temporarily \
appear on top in all desktops which contain the window in the switch chain. However, \
then the user finally pauses the switching at Desktop D, the window will revert to \
its desktop-specific position in intermediate desktops in the switching chain (if \
those desktops contain said window), while on Desktop D its position will permanently \
remain on top. Note this introduces a race condition. There's lot of rationale behind \
this: you don't want switching through desktops to inadvertently mess up window \
order, you want to avoid the current KDE buggy behavior which is why you bring said \
window directly to the top instead of keeping the z-index constant or however KDE is \
doing it, etc. ))


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