unity-design team mailing list archive

[Kristoffer Lundén <kristoffer.lunden@xxxxxxxxx>]

2010/6/21 Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> So how do you define "started doing something else"?
> >
> > Something else is mouse and/or keyboard activity in an other
> > application.
>
> So how do you define "activity"?
>
> If the mouse button is actually *down*, or a keyboard key is actually
> *pressed*, when a window from another application requests a raise, it
> should not be raised. That much is obvious (and seems to be a bug in
> current Metacity).
>
> But what if you released the mouse button, or the keyboard key, 0.1
> seconds before the other window requests the raise? You're quite likely
> to be in the middle of a double-click or of typing a word. So the window
> shouldn't be raised then either.
>
> Ok, so what if you released the mouse button, or the keyboard key, 0.5
> seconds before the other window requests the raise? The same applies,
> just a bit less certainly.
>
> So, we've gone as far as ignoring raise requests 0.5 seconds after the
> last release event. But what about one whole second after? Two seconds?
> Three? Five? Ten?
>

If I have chosen to actively use another application/window, the new
application should never take the focus even if it takes it 24 hours
to start. The application, when ready starting should raise URGENT
signals, and/or notifications, and it could also feel very free to
display itself under my used windows if I'm not working in a maximized
environment.

But I *chose* to work in this other window, and any other application
can't decide when I'm done doing that, except if I have closed or
minimized this other window. Maybe I'm reading something at the
moment? I know this kind of breaks the other way, if I'm reading
something that was already up, without focusing it, but at least then
it's no surprise, and I can easily learn to focus that window. It's
still way way better than getting that interruption we do today. :)

Sometimes we launch applications just because we need them
later/soonish. My workday usually starts like that. Then email and
eclipse goes to the other monitor with some compiz magic, but that
isn't possible at home, because I only have one screen... as an
example. :) When I do that I very much do not want to be interrupted,
but I like to have the apps up and running when I'm ready for them.

/ K