Xfce panel translucent

[Brian J. Tarricone]

olivier,

On 10/04/04 13:53, Olivier FOURDAN wrote:
> 
> Brian,
> 
> > no, what i'm trying to say is that making the panel translucent adds
> > functionality (makes it possible to see windows under it), which is useless
> > unless you remove the current functionality that doesn't allow windows
> > under the panel (personally, i've always thought this was dumb).
> 
> But that's simply not true. Struts doesn't prevent windows to go under.
> I don't understand why you keep saying that.

i don't keep saying that.  if you'll note, nowhere in this previous email
did i breathe a word about struts.  i understood what you said after my
first email - the panel's behavior of not allowing windows underneath it
has nothing to do with struts.

> Struts and partian struts are used for maximization, window placement and
> movement. A user can move a window under the panel even if it sets struts
> (otherwise the desktop would be mostly unusable)

just to be clear: i understand that this has nothing to do with struts, ok?

> > it's fine for xfwm4 to avoid placing windows under the panel, but if i
> > move a window under the panel myself, i really want it to go there.  in
> > this case, xfwm4 is getting in my way; it's annoying.
> 
> Again, that's not true. 

ok, then the panel is telling xfwm4 not to allow windows under it.  i
really don't care what the mechanism is - you're avoiding my point by
continually focusing on what may be my incorrect assumptions about how it
works.  but the fact remains that i can't drag windows underneath the panel
when it's in always-on-top mode.  and this annoys me.  a lot.

so, my original point still remains:  a translucent panel is useless
if it doesn't allow windows *to be moved by the user* under the panel.  i
don't care if this is achieved in the WM or in the panel itself, but i'm
just saying that, if the panel keeps windows from going under it at all
when it's in "always on top" mode, it seems kinda silly to force it to be
translucent, since you can't make use of the area under the panel anyway.

> > at any rate, is this translucent panel thing going to be optional?  if not,
> > i think that's a bad idea.  as benny points out, some people don't like
> > it and want to disable it.
> 
> Don' t run the compositor, or don't place the panel on top.

so you're saying that i can't have drop shadows, and run my panel on top,
without it being translucent?  that's silly.  you're going to force me to
give up drop shadows if i think translucent windows provide a poor user
interface?  sure, they have their uses, but some people, especially those
with vision problems, will find this disconcerting.  those same people
might like (for example) drop shadows, because they help to differentiate
the relative "heights" of overlapping windows.

> I suggest that you try the feature, place the xfce panel on top and try to
> maximize a window, try moving other widnows, etc.

well, i can't right now, since i won't have access to a linux box until the
end of the week.  but, as of this past friday, with the panel set on top,
maximised windows do indeed avoid the panel (as i'd expect; this is good
behavior); but i cannot drag windows beneath the panel (which i think is
bad behavior).  if this latter behavior has changed with the advent of this
new translucency feature, a) sorry for wasting your time, b) why didn't
you say so in the first place?!

	-brian