[as-devel] Feature suggestion(s) (fwd)

Ethan (allanon@crystaltokyo.com)
Wed, 26 Apr 2000 23:57:43 -0700 (PDT) 

Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 23:26:45 -0500
From: An Thi-Nguyen Le <viper@srh0967.urh.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: anle@ews.uiuc.edu
To: allanon@crystaltokyo.com
Subject: Feature suggestion(s)

Hello,

I didn't want to sub to the devel list because I probably won't be able to 
contribute until much much later... but here are a few features I would 
like to see.  Most come from the fact that I prefer to work with the keyboard 
instead of the mouse as much as possible.

  * WindowsDesk: Can it have the same synatx as Desk?  I guess I'm a bit 
                 tired of naming desks and readjusting several feel files 
                 when I change the number of desks I have.  

  * Warping/Zapping:
       - to a specific window?  Convenient to zap to mutt when mail hits.
       - to any window on current desktop? Convenient when the pointer is 
              sitting on the on the root window and the nearest window is 
              farther away.  Doesn't have to be nearest window, just ANY 
              window that isn't CirculateSkip.

   * Desk switching: Can it stop or wrap around when it reaches the end or 
                     beginning desk?

   * Menu warping: Typing a letter on an active menu warps you to the 
                   first menu item starting with that letter, and the next 
                   letter sends you to the next item with that letter, and 
                   so on, wrapping around.  This is nice for me who likes to 
                   activate menus from keyboard.

Okay, and here are some luxury items.

   * Dynamic desks.  Add a desk at leisure, remove a desk.  Also requires 
                     changes to Pager, and whatnot, not sure it would be 
                     too great anyways since I usually have a cap of 8 on 
                     the number of desks I work on.  Ya never know... the 
                     day I need nine it'll be a bit annoying.   I never did 
                     like having to specify the beginning/end desk for Pager 
                     module although I can see why it is handy and needed for
                     swallowing etc.

   * Window List.  Can it only show windows on the current desktop?  Of course
                   this is questionable... I prefer the little window listing 
                   popup menu.

And here are some questions.

   * Layers.  Never got the hang of them, and there only seem to be two?
              Pretty much the same as grouping in sawfish(mill)?

Anyways, I suppose most afterstep users prefer to use the mouse, but things go 
faster with the keyboard for me.

I really like AfterStep, btw.  Took a year to get pulled off ctwm to this... a 
nice compromise between speed/usability and pretty looks. 


Thanks,
-- 
An Thi-Nguyen Le
|According to the obituary notices, a mean and unimportant person never dies.