Xfce and the default icon

[Christian Dywan]

Le Thu, 29 Mar 2007 23:30:41 +0200,
Harold Aling <h.aling at home.nl> a écrit :

> Olivier Fourdan wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > Harold Aling wrote:
> >   
> >> I was wondering if it's possible (or feasible) to use the icon specified
> >> in the application's .desktop file as window manager, taskbar and
> >> taskswitcher icon if the application itself doesn't specify one.
> >>
> >> For example:
> >> I have a nice terminal icon for xterm in my menu, but launching xterm
> >> results in a default icon ('starry' thing), the same goes for rdesktop
> >> and a lot of other apps... This becomes very confusing when opening a
> >> lot of apps on a single workspace.
> >>
> >> If this is possible to achieve, I'll create the appropriate bugzilla
> >> report...
> >>     
> >
> > Of course, it "doable", but I'm really not in favor of making the WM be
> > aware of the .desktop files, it would be quite inefficient for that purpose.
> >
> > Especially when you realize that there are standard protocols for the
> > applications to specify an icon.
> >
> > It would be a lot more efficient to bug the applications that don't
> > provide an icon ;)
> Very true, but that would mean that this 'issue' won't fixed within the 
> next year(s).
> 
> Maybe it's even more clear not to use a default icon (text only)? It 
> sure would remove some of the similarity of different applications...
> 
> -H-

Hi,

I agree that the window manager must not inspect desktop files for an icon since that would probably add a big overhead. However here is a simpler idea:

What about using either the themed icon named after the program or the icon of the file mime type, for example for a shellscript or a python script.

I don't know how much that would slow or bloat the code, so please tell me.

Yours,
    Christian Dywan