Panel Redesign [Was: Re: About the clock updates]

[Biju Chacko]

On 26 Sep 2002 09:55:47 +0200, Olivier Fourdan wrote:

> - Proposed design :
>   Write a plugin manager that loads all modules once and only once at
> startup. If the dialog needs to change a module, it simply build a new
> instance of the module (using the "new" function) and unrefs the
> previous one.

This idea has a lot of merit. It would simplify things a lot.

> No need to load all modules for nothing. The list of modules is given
> by the module manager that keeps a track of all existing loaded
> modules. Drawback: If the user install a new module, from a third
> party (!!) then it doesn't show in his control dialog until he
> quits/restarts the panel. That's however, very unlikely to happen. 1)
> there are no third party modules available yet and 2) even if that
> happens, I think the overhead of restarting the panel is nothing
> compared to headaches caused to developpers by the current design :)

If it becomes an issue, dynamic addition to the manager shouldn't be
complex. I doubt it'll be necessary, though.

I have another idea to simplify things. Drop the concept of left-side
and right-side. Make the panel an array of Panel Items. The properties
of Panel Items:
	* Are implemented as builtins or plugins
	* Can specify whether they want an associated popup
	* Default Types of Panel Items:
		- Icon (allows popups)
		- Desktop Buttons (doesn't allow popups)
		- Clock, Trash, MailCheck, etc.

The current CDE look would just become the default configuration --
*not* hard-coded.

This would reduce the complexity of many current functions that take
either RIGHT or LEFT as a parameter. It would also halve the number of
data structures that need to be maintained, I suppose.

I suspect Jasper is already thinking on these lines. I had suggested
this earlier, but it was not very well received. ;-)

What thoughts on this?

-- b

PS: Olivier, zeDek: I really got it from my wife in the morning for
sitting up so late. Next time find bugs at a more reasonable hour! :-)

PPS: I'm getting too old for this sh*t (All nighters, I mean).


-- 
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Biju 'botsie' Chacko                        biju_chacko at vsnl dot net
http://www.symonds.net/~botsie
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