Re: [dev] dmenu patch to return all matching items (for a new dmenu-powered music player interface)

On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:53:32 +0100
markus schnalke <meillo_AT_marmaro.de> wrote:

> [2010-11-11 14:36] Dieter Plaetinck <dieter_AT_plaetinck.be>
> > On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:12:59 +0100
> > markus schnalke <meillo_AT_marmaro.de> wrote:
> >
> > > Note that the user might not be able to know in which mode dmenu
> > > acts at run-time.
> >
> > why wouldn't he? if a dmenu appears on a users' screen, it appears
> > because the user configured/installed a script/keybinding/tool that
> > spawns the dmenu. Isn't "know your own system" a fair assumption?
>
> People may have different scripts launch dmenus. One will have to give
> them different colors to divide them apart.
>
> If dmenu would be a tool that is usually invoked directly on the
> command line, then I would agree with you. Because this is not the
> case I do not.
>
> Think about vi behaving differently whether invoked from crontab or
> visudo or hg ci. I would consider this bad.
>
> In any way, wasn't dmenu designed to behave the same everywhere? Such
> as `i' in vi should mean ``insert'' on every system. If on any system
> I use dmenu pops up, I'd like to know what it does when I hit Enter.
>
> If in filter mode, all entries on the right side would be highlighted,
> then I am pleased. The clear rule would be: Each highlighted entry
> gets printed. Think this is how is should be.
>
>
> meillo
>

Hmm I understand your point. I'm not sure I agree because I consider
dmenu the extenstion UI of another tool/script. e.g.: dmenu_run; and I
know how dmenu_run behaves (it will get 1 line). I never use dmenu as
a general purpose tool on it's own, it's always part of something else,
of which i know how it behaves.

However, your color suggestion is not bad.
Users who want a visual differentiator can call dmenu with a different
color setting for filter mode.

Dieter
Received on Thu Nov 11 2010 - 15:03:01 CET