Re: [Ayatana] Making workspaces great

[Thorsten Wilms <t_w_@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2010-04-22 at 10:27 +0200, Conscious User wrote:

> > I'd welcome a discussion about how we could make workspaces *great*. If
> > we can do that, then we would make more of them. And your contribution
> > above is a useful start: great workspaces give you easy access to some
> > apps regardless of the workspace you happen to be in.
> 
> I'd love that discussion too. :)


What are workspaces about?

Broadly they are about controlling the visibility of windows. As such
they are related to other means of doing so:
- Z-order control / stacking (one window is in front)
- Minimization (panel entry or miniature)
- Rolling up (hide all but the titlebar)
- Tabs


In this context, what is their defining characteristic?

The ability to show a set of windows, while hiding all other sets with a
single action (a set can be a single window).


What are the issues with workspaces?

- They are an additional and not strictly necessary concept.
- Accidental use when not being familiar with the concept already, can
look like windows suddenly disappeared, along with the the work you just
did.
- With bad implementations, new windows will appear on the current
workspace (dialogs or main windows of applications started while being
on another workspace).
- It can become hard to find a window. Especially with the combination
of workspaces and minimization within each one.
- Moving windows between workspaces is work!
- The organization of windows into sets without overlap seems to be too
rigid in some cases. The presence of either "Always on Visible
Workspace" or "Visible on All Workspaces" is evidence of this.
- Traditionally, their number is fixed, independent of current needs
(GNOME Shell makes that dynamic, though a fixed numbers is of advantage
regarding shortcuts).


Are there alternatives to workspaces?

Groups of windows. With or without overlap in the grouping.


Questions in the larger context of window management

- Is it really beneficial to always represent windows on a panel? How
about only having minimized windows listed there?
- Could minimization be done away with, to rely on a workspace or group
for hiding windows instead?
- Doesn't the Show-Desktop feature indicate a problem with the special
role of the Desktop (and its use as a place for icons)?
- Could closing windows be done away with, to rely on some kind of stack
to hide and then forgetting or recovering them, instead?
- Should workspaces be treated like tabs?
- Should tabbing happen on a window manager level, instead or in
addition to tabbing inside applications?
- Is click-to-focus really the best focus mode? If it is, what's the
right answer to the click-through-or-not question caused by it?


-- 
Thorsten Wilms

thorwil's design for free software:
http://thorwil.wordpress.com/