Sub-surface protocol

[Andreas Ericsson]

On 12/14/2012 12:29 AM, John Kåre Alsaker wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 11:47 PM, Bill Spitzak <spitzak at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> It will also force the floating
>> window api to allow the client to be in final control of the stacking order,
>> a deficiency in all existing window systems.
> Do you have an example of an UI which require the client to be in
> control of the stacking order? If that's really desired it probably
> won't hurt if is shared the stacking order protocol with subsurfaces.
> 

Not really "require", but the list is practically endless.

I want pidgin to show the window that last received a message, unless I'm
typing in one, unless I actively click on another one.
I want gimp to show the window with my tools on top of the image I'm
editing, even if my last click went to the image window.
I want my video-selector to stay in the background while a video is
playing, even if I click in the selector to queue another one while the
first one is running.

The compositor will *never* know the "correct" stacking of windows in a
multi-window program. The program should always know the default and the
user should always be able to change it, forcing the compositor to ignore
the program's wishes if he/she so desires.

That last bit is pretty important, actually. The "always on top" feature
from Gnome 2 was awesome. I used that a lot, and it could, with some major
annoyance, be used to work around even the most recalcitrant windowing
issues.

-- 
Andreas Ericsson                   andreas.ericsson at op5.se
OP5 AB                             www.op5.se
Tel: +46 8-230225                  Fax: +46 8-230231

Considering the successes of the wars on alcohol, poverty, drugs and
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