Window placement

[Pekka Paalanen]

On Wed, 2 Jul 2014 00:33:39 +0200
Fabrice Rey <fabounet03 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Pekka I think you misunderstod my point, let me try to be more clear.
> The "circular menu" is actually just a window, that paints some icons on a
> ring. It doesn't have a parent window, and that's the problem.

Why does it not have a parent window, if it is a normal application?

Sounds like it is not a normal application but a component of the DE,
in which case it uses whatever DE-specific means there are.

If you meant that the hotkey is also global (triggerable also when the
app's window is not active), then that must be handled by the compositor
directly, too. There have been discussions on how to create a protocol
extension for registering global hotkeys from apps without compromising
usability or security, but that feature too has not yet been
implemented AFAIK. I haven't even seen a serious protocol draft.

> How in Wayland will we be able to place this window so that its center is
> right on the cursor position ?

That is DE-specific, because it is a DE-component, IMHO. You will have
to explain the use case for regular applications better, if you really
mean regular applications; for example, what should happen when there
are multiple such applications running, why don't they have a
window on screen, and why they need to have a global hotkey.

Do you also assume some kind of modality? We do not have globally modal
windows. In some very restricted cases (as a response to a direct user
action) you are able to make a grab, but that grab is also breakable at
any time (doesn't sound like it would be a problem to your case,
anyway).

> We know the mouse position only relatively to a surface, but here we need
> the mouse position on the screen, and then positionning the window
> relatively to it.
> In short, you press the shortkey, and then a ring of icons appear scentered
> on the cursor. The question is "how?"

Like I said, there is no protocol for that yet, as far as I know. To me
it seems quite unlikely to have such protocol interface that would be
free for any and all apps to use.

It sounds more like a DE feature.


Thanks,
pq