Some configuration dialogs don't show up in the panel

[Stefan Stuhr]

lør, 11 03 2006 kl. 16:58 -0300, skrev Joao Pedrosa:
> Hi guys,
> 
> This is one of the things that I hate on Windows, when some windows 
> don't show up in the task list. For example, some configuration
> windows
> from the Configuration Panel. Until now, I hadn't noticed that some
> windows on Xfce aren't showing up in the panel tasks list either. Here
> is
> a list of windows that don't show up in the task list for me:
> 
> 1. By right clicking on the Xfce Menu button, I can access the
> properties
> of the menu, but that windows does not show up in the task list.
> 
> 2. By right clicking on the task list, I can access the properties of
> the
> task list, but the windows does not show up in the task list either.
> 
> Well, it seems like the problem has to do with these dialogs created 
> from the panel plugins. When these dialogs get hidden beneath
> other windows it's hard to access them again, which may be a problem
> for normal users. Also, when the dialog gets hidden it may block the
> right click on the button from which it was launched, like in the
> Xfce Menu button.
> 
> Is it a problem for anyone else?

I do have some problems, not least with the new 0install integration in
the panel and the launcher properties window covering for the 0install
dialogs.

There seems to be an inconsistent behaviour among panel plugins
concerning the properties windows. The properties windows for the
internal plugins coming with the panel doesn't show in the taskbar, but
they stay above other windows. The properties windows of some external
plugins (e.g. the menu plugin) doesn't show in the taskbar either, but
they doesn't stay above, making it easy to "lose them" behind other
windows. Other plugins may do otherwise.

What I would recommend:
      * Don't show the properties windows above other windows.
      * Use properties windows that shows in - and can be minimized to -
        the taskbar.
      * Don't block the plugin right click menu of a plugin while the
        properties window is open. Instead, when a user pops up the
        right click menu and click on Properties, the existing
        properties window should be recentered, brought to front and
        given focus. This way, users can't lose the properties window,
        and they won't wonder why they can't pop up the right click menu
        again.

Also, it would probably be best to have a common way of making
consistent properties dialogs, as part of libxfce4panel. Maybe not for
Xfce 4.4, but for after that.

> Thanks.
> 
> Cheers,
> Joao

Stefan