[as-devel] Suggestions and Possible Improvements
Sasha_Vasko@osca.state.mo.us
Wed, 20 Oct 1999 10:57:49 -0500
>Hi!
>
>BUG FIXES:
>1. Making it so that the option for no space around titlebar buttons
>works
>properly. I have noticed that there is still a small gap next to the
>buttons at
>the very start and the very end of the titlebar. (If you need some more
>specifics
>I can send a screenshot and explain more.)
Tha should be fixed in the patch I'm working on right now ( Yes I know I know -
its been three weeks) Unless I break more things ;)
>2. Various GNOME fixes. I understand that nekked is busy at the moment
>and he is the one that did the original code so it might be a while for
>these "bugs"
I wish someone would go and beat a patch out of nekked
He keeps promising that he has one, but never releases it.
>3. When using the WM style for titlebutton spacing (no space around
>buttons) part
>of the background color of the titlebar shows through on the sides of
>the button. (Again
>I can send a screenshot if having trouble understanding.)
same as 1)
>4. Also when using the normal button spacing there is a space to the
>left and right of the
>buttons on the edges of the tilebar. It would be better if you could
>specify how much spacing
>there was between the start of the buttons and the edges of the
>titlebar.
methinks its like, hardcoded to be 3 pixels.
Don't know if this will really be a usefull feature. If so then the whole
titlebar geometry
may need to be reworked.
>IMPROVEMENTS:
>2. Introducing frames for all parts of AfterStep. Menus, Balloons, etc.
>Tildouf has partly
>already done a patch for this so I don't think this will be too much
>trouble.
I wish I'd think the same.
Hopefully it will work nicely with windows and menus.
But I don't think it'll work good in balloons.
>3. Add an option for having frames surround the whole windows including
>title bar.
I don't thinks so
>4. Add code for allowing scaling of pixmaps for titlebars, and other
>backgrounds. I have heard
>that people are concerned that this will slow everything down, but if it
>is an option then only
>people who are willing to live with the slow down will have to use it,
>and people who like a fast
>environment can just use the normal tiling options.
It will sagnificantly complicate window resizing code.
>5. Make it so that it is possible to have title bars that don't cover
>the whole width of the window.
>For example you could have a titlebar that took up only 50% of the
>titlebar and would be resized
>depending on the size of the window.
My guess is that it will never be implemented as it defyes fundamental
concept of AfterStep that all window decorations resize inside the frame
window. You'd have to reparent titlebars to the root and that would take a
rather major rewrite of AS.
IMnsHO those who want this feature should look in E direction.
>6. Make it so that there is an option for the title bar to be made up of
>3 (or maybe more) seperate parts.
>This would mean that you would have a middle section, and two end
>sections.
Same as above
>7. Make an option so that the part of the titlebar which has the text
>underneath is a seperate part which
>can have a different titlebar background. An example of a use for this
>would be for a Mac OS theme where
>the title bar becomes blank underneath the text instead of just the same
>line texture going right underneath.
It needs thinking
>8. Add a new MyStyle into the look file for where you can put the
>pixmaps/backgrounds to use for vertical title
>bars. This would mean that each window that had vertical titlebars could
>have different textures and text than
>the normal ones. This way it is now it is impossible to use a tiling
>texture for the top titlebar and expect it to
>work on a vertical title bar. It would tile it normally which wouldn't
>look right for a vertical title bar.
I don't think that will ever happen - too much overhead. But who knows ?
>9. Add some new gradients to MultiGradient. Possibly a square gradient,
>circular gradient,
>diamond gradient.
Dude, we aren't writing GIMP here !
>10. Add option in wharf so that when you specify an entry you can also
>specify the tile
>to use for the wharf tile. (This might already be a feature I don't know
>about.)
You can use several icons in the same tile, layered one over another -
Create one that is of the size of wharf button with texture, and put
actuall icon on top of it
>11. Add an extra option to have a highlighted button for titlebar
>buttons. This would mean
>that when the mouse cursor goes over the button the pixmap would change.
too much overhead - not likely to happen
>12. Possibly move some of the config parts from feel to the look file.
>Such items would be the definition for
>what titlebuttons do, and what the different clicks on titlebar do. This
>would allow for easier theming.
never
I defyes whole idea of feel file.
>13. Allow for gradients to be like BackPixmap 130. ie. showing through
>to the root background.
That is allanon's golden dream - to have alpha channel in gradients.
So it may jolly well come to life , one of these days.
>>14. Allow for transparent pixmaps to be used on titlebar backgrounds.
>>This would work
>well with some of my above suggestions.
No. No shaped windows in AfterStep!
15. You forgot themes support :)
*grin*
>Thanks for reading through all this :)
even if this replay may look rude - we are appreciating user input ;)
The biggest problem is of course programming time and
TONS of things that are yet to be rewritten/fixed/cleaned up in AfterStep.
Legacy of many different developers, outdated technologies and not so well
written code is still bugging us down.
>||-===[Daniel Rigos]====[rigos@eisa.net.au]====[ViPA]===-||
Sasha