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Re: Debian menus policy



On Tue, Dec 11, 2001 at 02:02:59AM -0800, Erik Steffl wrote:
> 
>   you would not loose it, the left click on root window is not used in
> window maker at all.

left button: select windows (click, drag, makes a box, selects the windows
in that box -- this is described in the FAQ[1]

middle button: Window List Menu

right button: Applications Menu

>   ms win: right click on desktop brings up menu, right drag selects a
> region (icons within rectangle). note that it's exactly the same
> behaviour window maker would get with proposed left click = menu.

except you lose the select window functionality, uness you patch the
source code. then you have seriously different behaivour between the
Debianised WM and a ``pure'' WM.

>   I don't think any of the above is problem (generally, is there anybody
> who has problems with any/all of the above (as far as mixing of
> drag&click goes, not unrelated problems)) so I don't see why it
> shouldn't be used for window maker...

because it is a severe change in WM's functionality. i use WM because
it is WM, and not because it is a lot like the Explorer window manager.

now, if it were made a configuation option, then i would not be so averse
to it.

now, what is wrong with the current scheme?  remember, mouse buttons are
redifineable by the user, anyway, so as soon as you say ``left button''
but the user is left-handed, and they defined button 1 to be the right
button, you are misleading the user.[2]

so you can never write generic instructions that are right all the time.

so i ask: what problem are you trying to solve?

-john 

[1] http://www.windowmaker.org/faq-chapter4.html#72

[2] certainly, you could assume that the user would ``know'' that the
buttons have been redifined. but on the same token, you could assume
that the user would know that, say  ``bring up the Applications menu''
is generic, works for pressing the start button looking thing on IceWM,
or a right click with WM, or however your window manager handles it. you
could even have a footnote or a section that describes the different
behaviour of the window managers!

i _like_ having my choice. i do _not_ want all my window managers to act
all the same. if i wanted that, i'd use the ``Do As I Say'' distro, that
had only one MUA, one xterminal emulator, one window manager, one of
this, and one of that. instead, i use Debian - where the choice is mine.



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