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[Izidor Matušov <izidor.matusov@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I am one of maintainers of Getting Things GNOME! (GTG), a task manager 
application. I would like to add a feature where you trigger a keyboard 
shortcut and you can immediately start typing a new task you want to do 
in future, e.g. you browse web and you remember that you have to call 
your cousin tomorrow. I was able to setup all needed parts but a new 
window doesn't get focus. You have to switch to the window by mouse or 
keyboard what kills the feature :-(

I've prepared a simple demo to test: 
https://code.launchpad.net/~izidor/%2Bjunk/focus-model/

Run the main application (app.py) which provides a DBus method to open a 
new window. In another terminal window, run Launcher.py which calls that 
method and makes the app open a new window.

As you can see in image 01.png, a very strange thing happens: the new 
window is put in over all windows but it doesn't get focus, i.e. when 
you start typing, you don't change the text of the entry.

I have hard times to understand Window Focus Model in Unity. It seems to 
me that a new window gets a focus only:
  * when its application had already focus
  * or when the window is the first shown window of an application

Another thing is when I use window.preset(), the window is put into the 
background and an animation in Unity Launcher is shown. (Try it by 
uncommenting a line in app.py).

This behavior affect all other AppIndicators I use too:
  * when you open Empathy contact list from the indicator-messages, the 
window doesn't get focus either, see 02.png. When I type, I type in the 
gnome-terminal in background. (You might need to open the window and 
close it few times to prevent showing the window for the first time of 
application)

  * Hamster Appindicator ( http://albertomilone.com/wordpress/?p=502 ) 
-- after showing the first window, it doesn't get any focus

  * GTG's Appindicator -- Although it doesn't run over DBus, it has the 
same problem. You have to choose an action from appindicator and then 
switch to a new window.

  * Banshee from Sound Menu is a little bit tricker: almost every time 
you close banshee, you turn it off. The next time you open it, banshee 
starts as a new process and an exception is applied.

However, this doesn't apply to Skype whose contact list can be shown 
from its status icon with focus.

I use Ubuntu 11.10, unity 4.28.0-0ubuntu2.

My question is: How to give focus to a new window so the user can write 
in it without switching windows? Is this Window Focus by intention or it 
is a bug?

Thanks,
Izidor

Attachment: 01.png
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Attachment: 02.png
Description: PNG image