Global Menu for GNOME.

[Yu Feng <rainwoodman gmail com>]

Hi all,

I wonder if this message shall go here or else. If not, please tell me
where to forward it.

I am working on a project (http://code.google.com/p/gnome2-globalmenu/),
the purpose of this project is to provide a solution for a global menu
area for different application windows. (a well known example is OSX, a
less well known example is KDE, a less less well known example is
etoile).

I am wondering if GNOME is also planning or is planning to plan for
implementing a Global Menu in the future. If you are, this project might
be a good point to begin with. or simply merge it into gnome will be
fine(This is why I choose the devel list!).

The project has two products:
1 GnomenuMenuBar widget (in libgnomenu)
2 gnome-globalmenu-applet (also based on libgnomenu)

gnome-globalmenu-applet is a panel applet. It manages all the global
menus.
GnomenuMenuBar is a widget, sub-classed from GtkMenuBar. If an
application creates a GnomenuMenuBar, it will be managed by the applet,
and show up in the applet's region.


Because most application is compiled with GtkMenuBar(the only
application compiles with GnomenuMenuBar is the test case written by
me), a hack to gtk is provided(gtk-aqd), which replaces GtkMenuBar's
implement of interfaces by GnomenuMenuBar's. By carefully keeping the
data structure of GnomenuMenuBar (Class/Private) compatible with
GtkMenuBar's, this is safely done. However if GNOME accepts this
project, the patch won't be needed any more. The patch is uploaded
at
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=353076,
also in the project SVN:
http://code.google.com/p/gnome2-globalmenu/source/browse/trunk/gtk
+-aqd/patch.diff


Some development ideas are available at
http://code.google.com/p/gnome2-globalmenu/wiki/DevelopmentHome
Building/Installation guide is at
http://code.google.com/p/gnome2-globalmenu/wiki/Installation

The project origins from gtk-aqd patch & gnome-macmenu-applet by AqD at
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=241868

but ever since then, it has grown a lot and said good bye to a complete
hack(also much larger, to about 6000 lines), along with a well(or not
well) designed library.

BTW: Global Menu is, unfortunately, used majorly for those to stimulate
an OSX interface in GNOME. Though I personally think it works better
with gnome's default interface than with OSX themes.

Cheers,

Yu