I think the right solution would be to have an option to influence 
the size of the tasklist. I think It won't confuse the users too 
much, if we had an option(actually one combo box and an number) that 
let the user restrict the size of the window list applet.
 Havoc said in 
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2002-April/msg00678.html
that a maximum size option would be ok. I'd suggest a option to 
specify the [maximum|minimum|exact] size.
The other solution would to have such an option for the whole panel.
I have almost the same problem, just on a vertical corner panel, it 
is not unusable with 1 window, but if i have more than 4 windows 
open it uses 2 cols to display them and doesn't expand.

Any better solutions anyone?
Or should I try to implement as described above?

For the specific case of the corner panel, it makes more sense to me 
to have the "size" property on the corner panel itself, rather than 
on each applet you might put on the corner panel. Just a thought.

Think through all the cases; e.g. if you have a pager in a corner
panel, you probably want it a natural size, rather than a fixed
size... so that's an argument for putting the preference in the tasklist.

Do you want a min/max size here, or do you really just want to set the
exact fixed size? It'd be better to have one spin button in the prefs
dialog instead of that and also an option menu, less clutter.

I'd be ok (for this case) with a forced size, without minimum or 
maximum options, but the original request was about a minimum size, 
you said You'd likly accept a patch for a maximum size. So I thought 
it would be useful to have them all.
I personaly prefer to have my panel(edge) the same size all the time.
But I'm not sure what is good on a different setup.
bordoley@msu.edu, what would you think about a fixed size?

The actual implementation doesn't matter to me, as long as users can
use the task list on a floating or corner panels. 

Ok I made a patch that adds a size option to the wla. I isn't yet 
really finished, but it work mostly.
The remaining problems are:
	- It doesn't work at all for edge panels.
	  Maybe we should disable it for them. But on the other hand
	  it would be better if it works in that case, too.
	- Without tuning the options applet is still only the handle
	  on horizontal panels. We need some thing to get it right
	  from the begining.
	- The start size in the options dialog is mostly wrong.
	  I tried to inizialize it to the current (not yet fixed)
	  size, but it doesn't work. And this only makes sense in the
	  case that doesn't work anyway(edge panels)

But is works quit nice on my vertical panel, and quick tests on a 
horizontal panel were nice too.

bordoley@msu.edu, it would be nice if you could test it too...

Created attachment 8367 [details] [review]
first patch

Adding patch keyword, cc'ing seth in case he has any last second UI
thoughts :)

I think we should close this bug, because a more universal patch was 
applied by thomas@apestaart.org.
That patch (to libwnck and panel) allows the user to set a minimum 
and a maximum height (or width for vertical panels). It certainly 
solved the problem for me.

Sounds good to me...