rokicki@rocky.STANFORD.EDU (Tomas Rokicki) (08/25/87)
This is not an original idea, as PARC has been pushing `rooms' for a while, but . . . Let's make good use of screens! I have only recently been making serious use of an Amiga as a workstation. I'm talking four or five *different* jobs running at the same time. The problem is, the workbench is too cluttered, and too slow. (Each job has a few windows, and at about seven windows, things slow down tremendously.) It sure would be nice to move applications from screen to screen. This way, one screen could be for host communication (a window for downloading, a window for Tek graphics, and a window for the terminal emulation.) Another screen could be used for TeX development (an editor, the previewer, and TeX, each with their own windows.) The main workbench screen should be used for launching things and icons entirely; this way you don't need to resize and move all of your work to get to an icon. With enough chip memory, this would speed the system up and clean up its interface. Actually, since a smart refresh window has another bitmap for overlap, you might not need that much extra memory. In addition, things like TeX might work just fine in a few less bitplanes. So, what can make this possible? - A way to move a window to another screen. Preferably with Intuition 1.3. Perhaps a message as well to notify the task. - Programs that will run with a varying number of bit planes, down to 1 preferably. (Can scroll bar gadgets be fixed to work on one bit plane?) - Programs that can work with several different windows/working directories at once; especially editors. No need to duplicate the code. Mike Meyer's edit: server would be ideal. My TeX system (which is getting better and better) shall allow you to reside entirely on a custom screen; TeX, previewer, and editor (once I con an editor into doing what I want it to.) But this will be because I code it this way; it would be great if this was all automatic. Rewriting layers won't solve the problem; none of X, the old Sun windowing system, Sun NeWS, InterViews, or anything else I've used has good response time with several windows open. But this hierarchical partitioning into screens might do real well. Comments? -tom
dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) (08/25/87)
>It sure would be nice to move applications from screen to >screen. This way, one screen could be for host communication >(a window for downloading, a window for Tek graphics, and a >window for the terminal emulation.) Another screen could be >used for TeX development (an editor, the previewer, and TeX, This is partially solved with MWB. MWB is CLI based, and allows you to cause windows spec'd to open on the workbench screen to open somewhere else. It automatically routes OpenWindow() calls for the workbench screen to the current 'MWB' screen. It does *NOT*, however, allow you to move windows from screen to screen, nor open windows on other program's custom screens, nor force programs which open windows in their own custom screens to open them in an alternate screen instead. You can specify everything about the one or more 'MWB' screens except the colormap (an oversite... use that other PD program that allows you to set palette colors of arbitrary screens). (I sent Tom a copy). -Matt