I have an idea for another look for Haiku’s GUI. The screenshot shows the best I could do in Haiku without any coding or adding software but I propose an interface where the deskbar would be a short bar in the right upper corner, but with the leaf menu a smaller button on the left end of the deskbar and scrub the app list button. The Tabs for the apps would be along the upper edge of the screen between the left of the screen and the deskbar. minimized windows would collapse into it’s tab. Windows’ tab’s would automatically aline when the windows are maximized and would expand or shrink as needed to fill the space. Tabs could also be grouped together into workspaces. Perhaps desktop widgets could be “tabbed” for quick access. The current deskbar cube in the corner clashes with maximized windows. Either it’ll prevent windows from being fully maximized or maximized windows cover it up.
If the use case are low-resolution/screen devices or some kind of screen readers I think it could be useful but for now it looks Windows and would need more interaction/view screens to render obvious benefits of extra new work.
This is already 99% implemented. Deskbar already has this “mini-mode” by dragging the grippy section to the right of the clock to the top right. (Unfortunately this “mini-mode” isn’t available from the position widget in the Deskbar prefs yet.)
Now you’d have to manually stack all open windows and then maximize one window in the stack. The stacked windows become fullscreen, with the Deskbar just peeking out from the “tab-bar” at the top.
I have not been able to activate this “mini-mode” of the deskbar. I’ve already heard of it, but clicking and dragging those grippy things on the sides doesn’t make it happen. I’ve only been able to do what you see in the screenshot. I also don’t want to have to do anything manually. I’d want the tabs to self align on maximize. What I’d like to change in the screenshot is having the leaf menu on the left side of the system tray and replace the window menu with an tab overflow menu.
You have to drag the grippy thing onto the blue leaf button.
As I said, 99% implemented. Maybe @augiedoggie can be bribed to include this into “Windowtailor”, if it’s possible to script this behaviour.
I have tried dragging the grippy thing onto the blue leaf button but nothing happens.
in any case, this “mini mode” is apparently just a small button that makes the deskbar appear on click or mouse over. Can’t see the clock or system tray at a glance.
BeScreenCapture currently refuses to produce a video. Here’s a screenshot:
This is the Deskbar over a Workspaces replicant.
Oho, very good idea, no one thought about!
It is so small difference no one will even notice!
Thank you for your help
Please file a but at the bug tracker then! It should be at HaikuPorts.
so the way I had the deskbar setup in my screenshot is the minimode? I had seen in a youtube video the deskbar being collapsed to a single button in the corner. I assumed that was the minimode.
I don’t think there are official names for those modes… I think, “compact” is the “2-row” state in a corner, and the most recently added “1-row” state is “mini”. Did I get it right, @jscipione ? 