>>>>> Charles Hines writes:
>>>>> "AR" == Andrew Renalds <renalds_at_abn_dev.abn.com> writes:
AR> Some of the things others have suggested to me is:
AR> - drag-n-drop to/from GoodStuff Applications Launcher
Chuck> Going with my above statement, I don't think I would ever make
Chuck> GoodStuff (or rather FvwmButtons, the equivalent in 2.xx) have any
Chuck> specific drag and drop capabilites.
don't need to.
FvwmButtons isn't interested in the information, which is passed from Mfm
to the application. It just might forward it (Black Box!).
Chuck> But I think what might be better is to give MFM it's own toolbar (like
Chuck> GoodStuff/FvwmButtons), which could perhaps be torn off (or made a
Chuck> separate program entirely), and add code to MFM to allow it to be
Chuck> compiled as an fvwm module.
Chuck> Also, in the not too distant future there will be some modules that
Chuck> will allow for shell script communication with a running fvwm, and an
Chuck> idea similiar to that could be used as well (so MFM wouldn't have to
Chuck> be invoked as a module).
Chuck> And by building the toolbar into MFM, it would have drag and drop
Chuck> functionality under any window manager, not just fvwm. And under
Chuck> fvwm, it could also possibly perform fvwm specific window manager
Chuck> functions (much like tkgoodstuff).
I'd vote for an mfm feature to create one or more toolbars with drag &
drop, which I could swallow from FvwmButtons then.
No hassle for Chuck who is already quite overloaded, no long response times
on feature requests from the mfm people, no mfm specific drag & drop target
functions in fvwm(buttons).
AR> - dynamic main window menu's
Chuck> There are pseudo facilities to do this now in the 2.xx betas, and will
Chuck> probably be slightly easier in the next beta (2.0.43) and the first
Chuck> official release (2.1.0) which should be out shortly after that.
can't wait to see them.....
AR> - GUI interface to build .fvwmrc files
Chuck> Actually, two of these exist right now that I know of:
[...]
I guess, you can't do all the tweaks from a configuration generator, but
it'd certainly help novices/occasional users.
Bryan> Next issue: I'm closely associated with the mfm people. (mfm is
Bryan> a very nice desktop manager) What kind of work do you think the
Bryan> two groups should do make these two programs work more
Bryan> hand-in-hand?
well a combined desktop/file manager is no new idea.
I guess it started with Apple, went on to Norton Desktop for Windows, PC
Tools Desktop for Windows, Windows 95 has then more or less just killed the
market for these afterproducts for Windoze.
In general I think, it's a good idea, but I don't know how to have fvwm2 &
mfm part one root window in a smooth manner (- without bounding boxes:
"You can't put that file icon there, because it's the fvwm side of the root
window !!!"), without them being integrated.
Even if mfm were a module for fvwm, it'd just have some sort of transparent
window (rectangular!) in which to place it's icon. No placing icons
anywhere else.
(might be that I overlooked sth. here, I've some sort of "incompleteness"
feeling)
Bryan> One area which seems a "must" is the ability to make a element
Bryan> on the buttonBar be a drag-and-drop receiver.
Bryan> In other words, if I drag a file off of mfm and onto a
Bryan> WordPerfect icon on the buttonbar, it'd be nice if WordPerfect
Bryan> could be 'taught' in invoke itself with the name of the file.
Would certainly be nice. One way was desribed above: mfm button bar, maybe
swallowed by FvwmButtons.
Maybe sth like this already exists (roughly):
Create a button which executes the command "wordperfect `print_selection`":
you just mark the file with the mouse and press the button.
Mfm could always put the highlighted file in the pastebuffer automagically,
so that you just click on the filename and then on the button.
(I know the command isn't print_selection, but `p?? -xyz`, but I can't
remember now.)
It's not directly drag`n`drop, but it`s close, and fvwm shouldn`t support
multiple drag`n`drop interfaces.
It might be different, if mfm and other file managers could come to terms
with a single drag'n'drop interface, but maybe not. ;^)
Chuck> This would require coding changes on WordPerfect's part, for it to do
Chuck> it itself.
If wordperfect recognized a file dropped onto it's icon, it'd still do so,
if swallowed in FvwmButtons (maybe via an own iconmanager - ewww, that
needs some smoothing), or in a special iconbox, filled with drag'n drop
receivers, swallowed into FvwmButtons (I like the latter MUCH less).
This should be doable quite easily - am I right ?
(I guess our Capacity on these issues is still with The Green Men, is he?)
Bryan> What do you folks think? We have a fine window manager and a
Bryan> fine desktop manager. What makes windowing environments
Bryan> successful is that the two work together in synergy. To be
Bryan> able to do this at the free(d)ware level on X would be a
Bryan> tremendous benefit to everyone.
I do second that, but it would mean either integrate, or use existing
interfaces. (Maybe with slight extensions, as long as they are generally
useful extensions. No one wants to see mfm-specific functions bloat fvwm,
when most people don't use them. But then I think most people would use the
file manager part, if they were integrated. It's maybe just a matter of
"I don't need no steenking Windoze" ?)
Chuck> As I said, I actually don't see where it buys a lot, since not many
Chuck> programs would recognize the drag and drop protocol themselves. That
Chuck> would be the real win (for those that like and use drag&drop). But
Chuck> until one becomes a real standard...
It shouldn't even bother fvwm, which drag'n'drop interface the application
uses. Just make sure, FvwmButtons can swallow an iconified application and
passes on all events from the icon to the application.
If WordPerfect and Mfm can agree on an interface to use, fvwm shouldn't
keep them from communicating.
just my 0.02$,
albrecht
--
Should I stand out in the rain
Do you want me to make a daisy chain for you
I'm not the one you need -
What do you want from me -- Pink Floyd
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Received on Wed May 15 1996 - 14:26:26 BST