Re: Theory question on desktop and gmc

[Michael ROGERS <M Rogers cs ucl ac uk>]

>I'm wondering about the "middle = extend selection" bit.. Normally, this
>kind of thing is done by shift-click and ctrl-click. In my mind, the
>middle button seems to be a special "panel drag" button - all panel
>dragging is done with the middle button, except you can drag some things
>to the panel with the left. 
>
>I really would like to have some kind of logical delimiter between
>left-drag and middle-drag.. sometimes I spend a minute or so just trying
>to figure out what kind of weird mouse events one widget listens to that
>others don't.

Yeah, it would be useful if Gnome could give the middle button a universal
meaning, like the right button has under both Windows and Gnome. I think
"user defined" would be a good idea - being able to bind the middle button
to one of the context menu actions in each case.

>Oh, and something I just thought of. I can make a Launcher on the
>desktop, then drag it (left-drag) to the panel. Then I can't drag it back
>*off* the panel - I have to remove it and create it again..

If the mouse button release (not the mouse button press) triggered the
launcher, you could bind left-drag to something different from left-click. I
really think this should be implemented if possible, because it doubles the 
number of different actions you can perform with the mouse.

>> I like the suggestion of just typing on the desktop, instead of using
>> mini-commander or a terminal.
>
>Interesting thought - except that I have Window Maker set on sloppy focus,
>so that I can just shunt the pointer off the window I'm interested in onto
>the desktop without losing correct focus. The side effect is that the
>desktop never gets the focus.

Couldn't you push the cursor onto the window frame? I like what wm2 does
(although I'm not sure it's deliberate) - when you start typing the mouse
pointer disappears, and it reappears when you move the mouse. This means I
don't have to click on a text box and then shunt my pointer out of the way
like I do in Windows.

>And if you mean "click on the desktop first", well your scheme above
>passes left-desktop clicks to the windowmanager.. :)

Good point - the window manager will have to do without.  :)

>Having to find a small patch of desktop to click and type could be quite
>tedious. I would much prefer being able to shunt my mouse to some corner
>of the screen and type - that's one reason I like Mini-Commander, because
>when I put my mouse over the panel, it usually gets the focus - and I can
>type.

I guess you could allow typing over the foot menu too.


Michael Rogers