Re: [wmii] "Rows" of columns? (feature/behaviour suggestion)

From: Chris Foster <foster_AT_physics.uq.edu.au>
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:56:40 +1000

On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 10:25:51AM +0100, Kai Grossjohann wrote:
> "Anselm R. Garbe" <arg_AT_suckless.org> writes:
>
> > I don't understand why people ask for such mixture-layouts (in
> > dwm we had the same discussion already). Actually, I think you
> > only need such mixture layouts, if your screen is too small. So,
> > the real solution for the problem in my eyes is: wether use a
> > floating setup, or buy a bigger screen.
>
> I don't understand why you think of the layout as "mixture" any more
> than the existing layouts are mixture.
>
> wmii currently divides the screen into columns, each of which can be
> in stacked, maximized or default mode.
>
> It seems rather obvious to offer as alternative to divide the screen
> into rows, each of which can be in stacked, maximized or default mode.

It strikes me that default mode should then split the windows
horizontally rather than vertically. This would allow me to do
something which I've wanted on and off for quite a while - ie get the
following style:

+--------------------------------+
|| |
|| Main window, eg |
|| graphics / code |
|| (perhaps stacked |
|| to the left) |
|| |
+---------------+----------------+
| xterm, eg | xterm, eg |
| compilation | command line |
| | |
| | |
+---------------+----------------+

A very specific situation where I would find this helpful is where
a project has decided to ignore an 80-column code limit. The code then
becomes unreadably wrapped around in vim without a super-wide xterm,
thus the column-based analogue of the above, ie

+-----------------+--------------+
| Main window | xterm |
| (code) | |
| | |
| | |
| +--------------+
| | xterm |
| | |
| | |
| | |
+-----------------+--------------+

is just not workable and I'm forced to use a seperate view for editing
the code.

I'd definitly be for bringing in some kind of row layout. It would be
possible to navigate such a row-based layout with *exactly the same
keys* as we now have for column layout, therefore that's no extra
complexity for the user, except for a *single* keybinding to switch
between row and column layouts.

>From my point of view, we would gain back some of the flexibility of the
completely generic pre-wmii-1 nested layouts without the un-navigable
hell and complexity of keybindings which were required..

Just my 2c...
~Chris.
Received on Wed Feb 14 2007 - 10:56:44 UTC

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