Re: app wrappers and gworkspace

[Riccardo]

Hey,

On Friday, August 6, 2004, at 12:31 AM, Stefan Urbanek wrote:

> Having wrappers, hacks or any other kind of magic will still be just a 
> hack or magic. what is really needed is an grpahical tool/application 
> that manages applications. Existing examples of such tools are: "Start 
> menu" and its clones or Program Manager from ancient windows versions. 
> The later one is better example of the management app - at least the 
> original idea was not so bad. That is kind of application that user 
> should use instead of file manager. File manager should be used 
> sparingly, only when one wants to manage and share files.

well you could put your applications in the tabbed shelf, often accessed 
items in the shelf that every single gworkspace window has. Or you 
should be able to dock them around.

I don't want more things from gworkspace. You are always free to make a 
new, external application as a launcher.

I myself on os-x don't have anything external. I have 2, 3 apps in the 
dock (I think about monster-docks people sometimes have) just mail, 
console and maybe a browser, depending on the computer.

then, since all apps are ordered in the Application folder, they are 
quick accessible with a single click on an Finder window. More sparse 
applications, utilities can always be grouped in the "favourites" folder.

We can also think about what other desktop environments do, those that 
were born before windows or in any case thought independenlty of it 
(i.e. I am not speaking here of GNOME or KDE)

- OpenWindows (in the sun version, I use it under X11)
	* you can start any app using the filemanager, which has no 
"special" part for applications. If you want you need to make your own 
links in some directory. SO the filemanager behaves like Macintosh's 
finder or GWorkspace.
	* most used application are in the "Root Menu" you get when 
clicking gon the desktop, this  is like many other X11 wm do and I got 
accustomed to this and for some kind of use it is very nice and fast.

- old-style Motif
        * no standard file manager
        * quick launch of applications via the root menu on the desktop
        * active windows are managed by clicking on the desktop, a menu appears

- HP VUE
	* see CDE, since it most heavily influenced this "successor". For a 
casual user it seems like CDE, although CDE polished up many things, 
borrowing from others

- CDE
	* influenced (explicitly) by VUE, OS/2 and windows (at that time 
3.0/3.1) since the interface guidelines came from the same people
	* the "dtwm" is an evolution of the mwm, so root menu for quick 
launch is still there, but alternatives exist (active windows are 
managed the same)
        * a file manager that can start applications, much like windows 3.1 had
	* an "application manager" where tools and application can be 
stored like "actions". These actions can be associated them with 
filetypes and similar operations.
	* most common apps (read, their "action representation") can be 
docked in the ever-present "dashbord" which is like a dock with steroids 
(acts also as virtual screen switcher, CPU load viewer...

- Indigo Magic Desktop
        * it is a fusion of the old style IRIS desktop now made with motif 2
	* 4dwm is the windowmanager which does not have root menu for 
applications or open windows (instead a contextual menu with actions 
apperas, like LogOut, Print, GetInfo)
	* a filemanager appears, very flexible, which can start 
applications. But it is not the preferred way
	* the toolchest is a small text-only menu with quick actions (they 
are predefined, I am sure one can modify them, but I never did this) 
which can be oriented horizontal or vertical and contains quick access 
to actions, tools, applications. I find it extremely useful and has some 
features I won't explain here
	* the Icon Catalog. A sort of program manager, which consists of a 
single window. Links of documents or applications can be put in and the 
categorization occurs with tabs.
	* shortcuts on the desktop. The desktop can have links to 
applications, folders and files. Much like the macintosh desktop and the 
Windows Desktop "post win95"


This is a short survey, it shouldn't be thought of exhaustive. I wanted 
only to show how different environments which may be lesser known handle 
this point.

- most have a split between "file manager" and "program manager" to sai 
it a' la windows 3.0. The realizations are however quite different.
How the items in the "program manager" are created is however varying. 
SOmetimes it is only a link, but this is limited, other have some sort 
of "wrapper".
"Wrappers" (in an extended term, I would consider old .PIF files wrapper 
in this context) extend the functionality of actions and file types and 
can help to cope with applications not designed explicitly with one or 
the other desktop environment. SO I would not abolish them, just find a 
fast way to make a "standard one". CDE has an "action editor" to refine 
the settings.

- most have a quick-way to access useful files, either a pop-up menu or 
some sort of ever-resident, small area, that pops up in a menu or a 
window.

How should we cope this in GNUstep without breaking the OpenStep 
tradition but considering heterogeneous applications (standard X11 for 
example) I don't know. This wanted only to be a quick survey of stuff I 
use (not necessarily endorse) since I saw this discussion was flowing as 
often into nothing, a flame without data and respect to other solutions.

-Riccardo