Re: [dwm] dynamic nmaster proposal

On Thu, Oct 18, 2007 at 06:59:48PM +0200, y i y u s wrote:
> 2007/10/18, Tuncer Ayaz <tuncer.ayaz_AT_gmail.com>:
> > On 10/17/07, pancake <pancake_AT_youterm.com> wrote:
> > > Thinking about the most useful use-cases for the nmaster tiling I got
> > > the conclussion that the only usable configurations are:
> > >
> > > +----+----+ +----+----+
> > > | | | |----| |
> > > +----|----+ 2/2 | |----| 3/2
> > > | | | |----| |
> > > +----+----+ +----+----+
> > >
> > > +----+----+ +----+----+
> > > | |____| |____|----|
> > > +----+ | 2/3 |____|----| 3/4
> > > | |----| | |----|
> > > +----+----+ +----+----+
> > >
> > > We can get the conclussion that the only sense configuration is to
> > > keep three (as maximum) clients tiled in the master area.
> > >
> > > The most used (for me is the 2/3 and 3/4 configuration). The 2/2 one
> > > is as useful as the 3/3 one, but no more than 3. So the 22 and 33
> > > configurations are really close to the grid layout.
> > >
> > > It is relatively easy to modify the nmaster.c patch to make it
> > > dinamically change the nmaster value depending on these preferences.
> > >
> > > Now I'm at work and can't test anything until the night.
> > >
> > > But I think that in this way we can reduce the user interaction
> > > when using the nmaster layout.
> > >
> > > Let me know about your ideas and the way you use this patch.
> >
> > The only way I need nmaster is this
> >
> > +---------+
> > | | terminal
> > +---------+
> > | | terminal
> > +---------+
> >
> > I set it to 2. that's all.

Uhm...this way we can use the NMASTER value to define the default base
number of clients on the master area, and split to three when more than
7 clients where in the same tag.

Having more than 3 or 4 clients on the master area is senseless for me,
and most of time I use only one or two clients in the master area.

But I assume that nmaster is probably more useful on 4:3 screens than 16:9
ones. Now i'm using my old laptop (15" 4:3) and I feel more confortable
using nmaster than in the 12" 16:9. When I want to focus on two clients
I usually use the clients-per-tag patch, but it is a hack and needs more
work.

> In bwm, the nmaster feature was changed by a toggle between 1, 2 or 3
> clients. I never missed anything. But I'd like to make it clear that

This looks pretty similar to my clients-per-tag patch which I found very
useful, but makes me think that it's not the perfect solution.

> besides I found this user interface more comfortable it didn't remove
> any complexity from the code, though this way (and pancake way, of
> course) could be the way to go. I also was thinking in something like
> a condition to have always more clients in the stack area than in the
> master one, but never implemented it because I thought that though in
> theory it looked good it wouldn't have much practical usage Just my 2
> cents.

I agree, but I have to test a PoC before decide anything. I have noticed
that most of times I use a new concept for tiling I finally recall to
the basic dwm functionality which is suficient for all my needs, so I
don't know if a dynamic nmaster functionality can become a noise for
the user experience.

I'll try and share.

--pancake
Received on Fri Oct 19 2007 - 01:55:35 UTC