Review Request: Add a "Windows should cover" option to plasma panels.

[Stefanos Harhalakis]

> On 2009-04-07 20:48:49, Aaron Seigo wrote:
> > what's the benefit over "Windows can cover"? that you don't have to click on a window to hide the panel beneath it? or versus autohide, where the only difference is when you don't have any windows obscuring the screen edge the panel is on? i'm concerned that adding a 5th option here we certainly will have covered every possible twisting and turning of it, but is there a real benefit to doing this or are we just adding to the list of options to choose from?

The short answer is "yes" and "yes".

"Autohide" is good when you don't want the panel to fill your screen, but it is bad when your screen is empty.
"Windows can cover" is very annoying when for example you only want to see the time, then you have to click back the application that covers the panel and then the application that you were actually using.

I'm using a laptop that has 16:9 screen, where the height isn't enough compared to its width. For better usability I try to maximize vertically available space. I tend to move toolbars to the left or the right where there is plenty of space and leave windows cover the panel. In this case, both of the other 'hidding' options aren't usable:
* "Autohide" is annoying when you've minimized all windows or when there is no maximized window on the screen. From my pov, autohide is not usefull for the main panel
* "Windows can cover" is better but when you have a maximized window and you move the mouse to the bottom, the panel shows and you've to click somewhere else to make it dissappear.

BTW, what is the 5th option? I only see 4 (including "windows should cover").


- Stefanos


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On 2009-04-07 17:15:14, Stefanos Harhalakis wrote:
> 
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> This is an automatically generated e-mail. To reply, visit:
> http://reviewboard.kde.org/r/537/
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> 
> (Updated 2009-04-07 17:15:14)
> 
> 
> Review request for Plasma.
> 
> 
> Summary
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> 
> Add a "Windows should cover" option to plasma panels. This makes the panel auto-lower itself and raise when the mouse touches the appropriate screen edge. It's like an intermediate of "auto-hide" and "windows can cover". This way it is possible to have a visible panel when you have free space at the bottom of the screen, but make full screen windows cover the panel when they're maximized. Helps a lot for laptops with 16:9 screens where there isn't much available height.
> 
> 
> Diffs
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> 
>   /tags/KDE/4.2.2/kdebase/workspace/plasma/shells/desktop/panelcontroller.cpp 950760 
>   /tags/KDE/4.2.2/kdebase/workspace/plasma/shells/desktop/panelview.h 950760 
>   /tags/KDE/4.2.2/kdebase/workspace/plasma/shells/desktop/panelview.cpp 950760 
> 
> Diff: http://reviewboard.kde.org/r/537/diff
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> 
> Testing
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> Seems to work. No more testing. There may be performed redundant actions.
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> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Stefanos
> 
>