Re: A Violent Realisation [Was: Preferences]

[Federico Mena Quintero <federico ximian com>]

On Mon, 2002-04-29 at 08:26, Alex Larsson wrote:

> Viewports are the one where windows can overlap several screens. 
> Workspaces are "separate". We removed (didn't add) viewport support in the 
> tasklist.
> 
> There is really nothing that says you can't drag windows between 
> workspace though.

Viewports and workspaces are the indication that window manager authors
are too lazy to implement a single feature set RIGHT.  Viewports are for
people who swear by XMoveWindow(), workspaces are for people who will
bet their lives on XRaiseWindow().

Making a distinction between viewports and workspaces means that you
expect users to know how the window system works and how you can
implement something.  You can implement separate desktop areas that
create the illusion of having multiple monitors in many ways, and having
different features for each of those ways is just stupid.

A window that is larger than your screen is useless anyways, and is a
certain indicator of a buggy application --- why would an application
create a window larger than your screen, rather than size itself
correctly and let you scroll?

> The only thing that can't happen is the window being 
> half on one workspace, and the other half on another workspace.

Why not?  If it raises its virtual root window or whatnot, it could just
as well reparent the client window to the new root window and move it so
that you see the "other half" only.  Some people will think this is
crackrock and think virtual desktops should be completely independent of
each other, some others appreciate the "spill over to the adjacent
desktop" metaphor.

It is all a matter of which stupid X calls you use to simulate the
illusion of more than one desktop, or a large desktop, or whatever. 
There is *no way* users will understand the distinction unless they
become proficient X programmers, or crack-smoking window manager
authors.  But that's redundant :)

  Federico