Ideas for future Deskbar features

2 more options would greatly improve usability:

  • single click switch to application window when single app window exists. Pointless to force 2 clicks (deskbsr selection of app, then 2nd click to select single window).

  • an application launching icon. With some long loading apps, there is no indication something is happening.

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Loading indication is a task of application itself. If application launching takes a lot of time, it should show splash screen, dialog with progress bar or something like that. Deskbar don’t know that application is loading and there are no API for that.

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Deskbar subscribes to BRoster::StartWatching(), but BRoster notifies client at ReadyToRun stage, not at BApplication constructor stage (which would be the feature request). There is opportunity to insert a message sooner, however there is the problem that the app’s BLooper hasn’t started yet (via Run) so to avoid nastiness BRoster delays informing subscribers. Regarding displaying loading screens, that would require more work for application developers - you wont always get that (or will rarely). Displaying a loading icon would benefit the user from lazy app developers.

I moved this thread to a new topic, because it’s not about the current Deskbar options. In fact, those suggestions would probably not end up as options, but simple default behaviours.

This. Both of these options would definitely add more goodness to the Deskbar :smiley:

Most applications start instantly. If application is so complex, that it can’t start instantly, adding loading screen wouldn’t be difficult comparing to application logic. Microsoft Office, Teams use loading screen.

Apps should start instantly. If they don’t, blame the app developer and let them deal with the consequences :stuck_out_tongue:

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