window positioning question

[edscott wilson garcia]

On Sun, 2002-06-02 at 16:24, Horn Gabor wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> I have a little problem under xfce, but not sure if it's my fault or the
> xfce's. Here's the problem:
> 
> Every time i start certain applications (eg. xfglob or xchat) they
> appears in a strange way. Eg. xfglob always appears on the left-bottom
> end of the screen, and the half of it is 'out' of the screen, it
> overlaps the panel, etc. Every time i have to grab it and move it to the
> center of desktop (where i like it to be). No matters if i close it
> there, the next time i start it it's again at the left-bottom :( It's a
> bit annoying. 

Xfglob is set to open at mouse position, since it is most usefully
called from xftree since by doing have the search path automatically
set. But your comment is well taken and in xfce4 there should be some
enhancement in that respect.

> 
> I know there's a MArgin thing in the $HOME/.xfce/xfwmrc file, and i have
> set it:
> 
> Margin Top     0
> Margin Left    0
> Margin Right  80
> Margin Bottom 70
> 
> So if i maximize the app, it doesn't overlap the panel (and there's some
> space at the right for the icons too). 
> 
> XChat too, every time i start  it it starts on another location. (The
> first server selection panel appears on the left-top of the screen, but
> after selecting a server and hit connect the new window which contains
> the channels, etc appears on a random place...and in 90% of cases its
> upper border is out of the screen...i know i can move it with alt-f7
> every time, but it's annoying too).

The xchat code probably has a "don't care" for initial position. 

> 
> I do something wrong, or it behaves the same way for you? I the second
> case i'd like to ask if it's possbile to implement:
> 
> 1, either ALL new window should appear on the center of the screen (and
> in the size it wants)

The x standard call for a program involves the --geometry parameter,
which would let you define where you want each and every window to
appear. Unfortunately, it's been falling into disuse. This is a concern
of each application in particular, and not the WM.

> 
> 2, or the wm should remember the position of and application, and if a
> start it, then moves it away, then quits from it, the next time i start
> it it should appear in its last position?
>

If the WM does it, it would overlap multiple instances of the same
program. It's rather a application thing. 
 
> 3, maybe we could be able to choose between the two behaviour?..:)

Try starting application with geometry specification, like 
"-g 1+1+50x50" to open a window a (1,1) of size (50,50)

Edscott