GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 300593
A separator applet for the panel
Last modified: 2015-03-24 13:00:52 UTC
While trying to organise a long row of icons on my panel I realised that there was something missing: the separator that we see so often on toolbars. I have attached below code for an applet to implement it. I haven't attached a patch to fix up the Makefile.am and the like, but I have included the .server file, a sample icon and a simple Makefile that is good enough for testing it. There is one known bug with the current code: the separator is drawn as a thick black line on a pixmap background or a transparent panel. This appears to be gtk_paint_vline not wanting to draw correctly on such a background. I have filed it here rather than with the applets module since it is meant to be associated with the launchers rather than being stand-alone. Feel free to punt it along there if you don't want it in core gnome-panel. Also in its favour: it is also simpler example code than the fish applet.
Created attachment 45244 [details] A tarball of the relevant files (as described above) The basic files needed to build and test the applet. The Makefile will need altering to specify an appropriate prefix.
Created attachment 45245 [details] An example showing the applet in action Also, a PNG showing the applet in action. The three groups of icons are all functionally different (leftmost = common apps, middle = some commands associated with jhbuild, left = commonly accessed folders), the separator helps break them up without needing to spread the icons out.
Nice idea. I'm not sure we should do an applet for this, though. It'd be probably better and easier to have an internal object (like the launcher). Mark: any comments?
Something like the quick-lounge applet, but cleaned up a bit, might be more useful here. It has the additional benefit of letting you move an entire group of launchers together as one, scrunching them down (so they'll appear in a common drop-down on space-confined panels), and more. if it could be extended to hold _any_ kind of panel object, it might make general organization and grouping a little easier to manage. Perhaps having the drag-handles (even cleaned up drag handles) would be too much garbage on the screen, though?
(FWIW) Completely agreed. Externally, an applet; internally, a panel. Related: the quick lounge, drawers?
Sean: I agree that having something like the quick-lounge applet could be useful, but this is not exactly the same problem here.
See also the 3 year old horror of a hack: http://www.hadess.net/files/attic/gnomepanelspacerapplet.org-10.0-zoom-zoom.tar.gz
Created attachment 45329 [details] [review] A patch that adds a separator object for the panel I also think it's better an internal object for this so simple item rather than an applet. So, this patch adds a separator as new panel object. Ok to commit?
Created attachment 51648 [details] [review] New patch adding the separator to the panel Here's a new version of the previous patch, modified to match the current version of the panel. It requires that the patch adding categories to applets and the patch making the "add to panel" dialog a canvas (right now available from Ubuntu) are already applied. See next attachment for an appropriate icon.
Created attachment 51649 [details] Icon for the separator internal applet This is an icon for the separator applet for the gnome panel. It will appear in the "add to panel" dialog's icon list. See previous patch to see where this file belongs.
what about pushing that for 2.14, Vincent? :)
Created attachment 56384 [details] [review] New patch updated to the current CVS Here is an updated patch for the current CVS. It still needs an icon so we can use the one proposed by Manu Cornet if you like it.
Well, since nobody answered, I shall say I like it :-p Thanks for the update !
I committed a slightly modified version of the patch. Manu: could you make a new icon like the one you proposed, but with launchers icons that are in the default setup (ie, epiphany & evolution launchers)? Also, make sure you use the Clearlooks theme. Thanks
Created attachment 57303 [details] New separator icon New icon ! Good ? :)
Created attachment 57304 [details] New icon (right size) Huh no, not good. Here's the 48x48 one, sorry.
Thanks