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 Post subject: A Warped Bar?
PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 1:13 am 
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Having recently discovered that I still had my old original install CDs etc. for some various operating systems of yesteryear, I lately kept thinking about good old OS/2 Warp 4 and more specifically its equivalent of the task bar, the WarpBar, though much more sophisticated and extensive (it was actually based on a utility that came with Lotus SmartSuite called SmartCentre IIRC - the very reason why IBM bought out Lotus!), as well as a couple of upstart OSs that sank without a trace (at least, on desktop PCs), i.e., BeOS and QNX and specifically their equivalent of a taskbar/dock - both quite similar. (Yes I am aware that there was a new release a year or so ago of OS/2 as ArcaOS - can't really see the point of that. It's like AmigaOS 3.5/3.9 and 4.x and'new-ish' hardware based on a dead CPU, i.e. the PPC. Utterly pointless.)

And this set me thinking. It would be extremely 'cool' if we could have an option of an extended Nextstart taskbar that could incorporate not only all the standard Windows taskbar items and the standard Nextstart additions but also things like actual menus, sub-menus (not just pop-up hotspots) that open out of the bar, dock-like buttons for folders and apps, specially designed (by the skinner) mini-modules, special buttons that could capture/represent Windows and Dexpot VDs (depending on which a user uses, and one per button), internal command buttons - well, if you've ever used/seen the aforementioned OS/2 WarpBar and the BeOS and QNX bars/docks you get the idea. In effect, it would combine elements of all three Winstep components and more.

Actually, come to think of it, this could be a whole new, separate Xtreme component. (And yes, I do realise what a major undertaking this would be, but on the plus side, it could also prove to attract a whole new user base.)

But, I'm thinking very much long term. :)

And, thanks to a friend digging up a very old Athlon machine of mine, I think I might actually use it to install some of those old OSs just for fun when I get a chance - just to play about with the above mentioned objects.

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 Post subject: Re: A Warped Bar?
PostPosted: Fri May 25, 2018 7:48 pm 
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I've done a few rough paper sketches and should have a rough mock-up 'screen grab' within the next few days. The more I look into it, the more I like the concept. Combines the full power of the whole Xtreme suite in one package that can save tons of screen estate, can keep just about anything you want in one place, and can start any number of docks, menus, mods and shelf as and when needed. Would, in the nature of the beast, require a hell of a lot of different skinning bitmaps though.

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nexter - so, what's next?

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 Post subject: Re: A Warped Bar?
PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2018 4:25 pm 
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I now have 'screen grabs' - very rough and ready and absolutely no thrills, not even icons - ready and just finishing off some annotations. Should have something to show in the next day or two. I did the preview on a higher resolution monitor and made the whole thing to look best at high res.

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 Post subject: Re: A Warped Bar?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:04 pm 
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OK, I held off posting on a/c of the impending update, but as things seem to have calmed down now and the 'excitement' is all over (funny, nobody ever seems to say anything when something's running great, but one little buglet and.... :) ), here we go with a couple of very rough mock-up 'screen grabs' of the 'Warped Bar' concept.

Basically, what this is is a super sexed-up Nexus combined with a super-sexed up NextSTART taskbar, yet all displayed in a very different and highly flexible way.

This could give you just about everything in one go with a minimum of screen estate usage, yet provide full access to all the other components. More flexibility, more choice, especially for the productivity-minded.

First, here is a vertical 'Warped Bar' :

And now, a horizontal one :

I separated the bars out from the over-all screen so we don't have one huge hi-res picture to cope with here, but will attach the whole thing as a file only if anyone wants to see it.

No works of beauty, but they illustrate the concept and what can be done with it.

A detailed legend for the annotations is also ready and will be up soon, as is and will be a detailed description of the concept (both as attachments). For now, I'd rather let the images mostly speak for themselves.

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 Post subject: Re: A Warped Bar?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:52 pm 
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Bummer, it seems there's no way of attaching documents in this forum. What a PITA. ('The extension ??? is not allowed' - tried converting to all sorts of formats, no luck.)

So now having to post full texts here. Here goes then with a detailed description of the concept. The legend will go into a separate post.


An Introduction To The ‘Warped Bar’ Concept


At heart, the ‘Warped Bar’ is a super-sexified, super-sexed up, turbo charged NeXus on steroids and offers a lot to those concerned with productivity while also leaving plenty of scope for the skinner and plenty for those whose primary interest is eye candy.

Essentially, with the bar the user can have all his most esssential apps, utilities and information in one neat and tidy package that can take up a minimum of screen space. Moreover, it can invoke any of the other Winstep Xtreme components as and when they should be needed, should they be hidden.

All three main Winstep Xtreme components – NextSTART, Workshelf and NeXus – already handle all types of objects, shortcuts, folders, files, internal commands, modules, and more. The ‘Warped Bar’ would not be a completely new, revolutionary application, but rather an evolutionary step from the NeXus dock.

The ‘Warped Bar’ concept itself is a kind of dock, but with a difference. The main, most immediately obvious one is that while NeXus and Workshelf display objects in the form of icons of a predetermined (by the user) size, the ‘Warped Bar’ would display each type of object in a (predetermined) different way appropriate to that type of object. Thus, for example, a meter type of module like the CPU meter would not be shown as an iconified form in the ‘Warped Bar’ but as a separate, specially ‘skinned’ mini version of that module (this would of course be dependent on the planned multiple module option). A menu type item would be displayed as a – yes, exactly, a menu-like button (with or without mini icons at the user’s choice), and so on. The current very rough and ready no frills mock-up of a vertical and a horizontal bar illustrates these points more clearly.

However, a further difference is that due to the nature of different objects being displayed in a different form, the skinner has to determine the fixed width of a vertical bar and the fixed height of a horizontal one. Furthermore, the sizes of any icons within various types of object are subject to a maximum size in order to keep the bar from getting too large – if the user wants lots of big icons, that is what NeXus is for. So while I could imagine an object container for Workshelf and NeXus shortcut icons up to a maximum size of 48 pixels (in e.g. the present mock-up bar), depending on the constraints of the bar’s fixed width or height, and indeed I have shown one in the vertical bar mock-up, I could not envisage too many of these being practical or desirable so a limit to the number of icons there would have to be imposed by the programme, or a limit to the degree of expansion of the container.

On the other hand, certain other objects, such as the tasklist, quicklaunch area or system tray could expand as needed, but again would be subject to limitations to the size of icons and, in the case of the tasklist, would be dependent on the size of task buttons provided by the individual skinner.

Thus, over all, while the width of a vertical and the height of a horizontal bar are fixed by the theme, the respective height and width of individual objects or rather object containers within the bar is flexible and variable. But again, these dimensions are mostly determined by the theme.

The ‘Warped Bar’ would accept any type of object available within the Winstep Xtreme suite, including some that are planned for the future and others that are perhaps not planned yet, subject to the type of object having been properly skinned within a given theme. Thus, a bar can have as diverse objects as e.g., a special ‘Start Menu’ button that opens up a pre-configured default menu (vertically, at the position of the button) that would be based on the old ‘Classic Windows’ Start Menu (i.e., pre-XP) but with a better organisation, though the whole menu could be re-configured, added to, subtracted from, replaced or even completely removed – like all other objects in the bar – by the user; a tasklist, quickstart area, system tray, mini modules (though some seem unsuited for use in a bar or anything other than as a desktop module, such as the Moon Phase and Calendar ones), hotspot buttons, in-bar docks, NextSTART docks, NextSTART menus, internal commands, Workshelf and NeXus shortcut icons, etc.

Another class of objects that can be accommodated in the bar are e.g., network drives, remote hosts, internet/web locations (i.e., bookmarks), remote desktops, links to messaging apps/services, and more.

One type of object shown in the ‘Warped Bar’ mock-up is two virtual desktops. This would be a (multi-) module that ‘captures’ Windows, Dexpot or other virtual desktops depending on which the user uses, and each could be displayed as a mini snapshot of the individual desktop’s wallpaper or where/if feasible, its current desktop.

In actual use, the ‘Warped Bar’ would behave much like the Workshelf and NeXus. The user can add and remove objects by drag and drop and in like way also change the position of objects within the bar. Similar to NeXus, the bar has a control button with similar functionality.

Menus and other menu type items as well as docks of any kind pop up next to or above or below the bar (depending on its orientation) , parallel to their originating object. The bar can be docked to any screen edge and this can also be done with offsets from the screen edge just as with NeXus, or it can be free-floating. All objects can display further information in a mouse-over text field/bubble. When a bar extends too far to be accommodated within a single column or row, it starts up a second column or row, parallel to its base orientation. It can also be hidden until activated by a hotspot, screen edge or corner bump, etc., or ‘minimised’ into the control button until recalled by double-clicking the control button again.

From a skinning perspective, the bar cannot be tiled like NeXus due to the varying sizes of different objects placed in it. Instead, it has to use a continuous background which can be stretched, and a certain number of pixels on the periphery of the bitmap can be specified by the skinner not to be stretched and not to be occupied by objects. However, a simple discreet border of around 2-4 pixels is ideal and preserves screen estate, and a large background image does not make sense in the context of the bar as the irregular sized objects placed upon it will be placed directly adjacent to one another, not regularly spaced apart as in Workshelf or Nexus. However, additionally, a great number of other bitmaps is required, such as various and variously sized button bitmaps for objects like the tasklist, NextSTART internal commands, and so on, and complete bitmaps for the mini modules.

The current – as said, very rough and ready no frills – mock-up of a vertical and a horizontal bar was made for a higher resolution display, with the complete bitmap size (screen resolution) being 2134x1200 pixels. It is best viewed at full resolution as a wallpaper on a larger screen up to about 32" – which is how I tried it, though developing it on a 22” CRT (3x4 ratio) GFX monitor at 1600x1200 – as this gives a better idea of what it looks like in context/in situ and of the over all effect, or else at full resolution in a gfx programme and scrolled as necessary. For a full explanation of all the various objects in the bars see a separate post/article. For displays smaller than 1600x1200 pixels one would, in general, have used smaller bitmaps for many of the items shown in order to minimise the usage of screen space. On a 32” screen at a viewing distance of between 4 1/2 and 5 feet I can see even the smallest items in the bar comfortably, using special intermediate distance type reading glasses that are optimal for distances between 3 and about 7 ft., despite my very poor sight. (I use these glasses with the above-mentioned 22” screen at a distance of 3 to 4 ft. mostly.)

The ‘Warped Bar’ could be either an integral part of Winstep Xtreme or a separate, optional add-on. It could possibly also be developed into a stand-alone, but either with a heck of a lot of work (having to integrate most of the other Winstep code) or reduced functionality. But ultimately, its place should be within Winstep Xtreme, as much of the beauty and power of it comes through its being able to call on any of the other components of the suite.

Historically, something akin to a ‘Warped Bar’ was achieved by the (now old) Lotus SmartCentre - a component of Lotus SmartSuite - both for OS/2 and Windows (on which IBM based their WarpBar for OS/2 Warp 4, for which reason they bought up the ailing Lotus back in the day). The OS/2 Warp 4 WarpBar was a sensation compared to the Windows 95/NT4 Taskbar back in the day. It is apparently also something that NeXT, in the days before ‘St. Steve’ Jobs took over Apple, were already thinking about doing with the NeXT dock for a future OPENSTEP 5 or 6. (Instead of course it became the insipid Apple dock with cosmetic bells and whistles.) NeXT/Apple could have done so much more, but alas….

Finally, the inspiration for the concept of the ‘Warped Bar‘ came from various sources. First of all, an underlying desire to expand on the paradigm of a dock for even more improved productivity and easier over-sight of information (e.g., that from modules), in a unified whole that could utilise as little screen estate as possible, yet in a visually/aesthetically pleasing way, originally considered many years ago. Then most recently – triggered by the discovery that I still had most of my original install CDs for a number of old OSs – revived memories of the OS/2 WarpBar and the Lotus SmartCentre, as well as the similar dock-like Shelf in QNX, and BeOS's BeTracker. Last not least, the CDE window manager for a number of Unix Operating systems had something not too dissimilar, the CDE Bar IIRC, and it also included four VDs in the form of small windows that displayed the background/wallpaper in use on each VD. I remember well using this in the days when I was using Sun Solaris OS on Intel and, for a while, Irix on SGI Indigo2s (not owned by me, alas!).

Ultimately, the seemingly limitless capabilities and flexibility of Winstep Xtreme must be acknowledged as having played a part.

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 Post subject: Re: A Warped Bar?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:57 pm 
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And here's the legend to the - bear in mind, no frills, no hint of real skinning, rough and ready - illustrations.


‘Warped Bar’ Examples – Legend


A more detailed description and explanation of the concept of the ‘Warped Bar’ is available in a separate file, IntroToWarpedBarConcept1.doc . This also explains how it would work in use, what is skinnable, and what is theme dependent and what is user-configurable, etc. and much besides.


Vertical Bar

1 - Control Button/Icon – similar to that in Nexus but likely could not be removed as in NeXus as likely needed on a/c of the variable sizes.

2 - ‘Start’ Button – this would be a replacement for the Windows ‘Start’ button and Startmenu, with a default special menu configured similar to the ‘Windows Classic’ Startmenu style available under Windows XP, but more useful and better laid out, with Programmes sub-divided into categories also.

3 & 4 - two (as yet not available but planned) drive space modules, showing (in this example) over-all size of the drives selected and the percentage of space used.

5 - ‘Tasklist in a box’. This could be configured similarly to the NextSTART tasklist, although when in button mode size of buttons (and icons if any) determined by the theme, while if in icons only mode the size of icons could be limited by the theme. The tasklist will expand as and when needed. Shown here is text only mode with 3 tasks running.

6 &7 - (Not available yet and possibly not planned – yet!) Two virtual desktop modules that show a graphic representation of two ‘captured’ Windows, or Dexpot etc VDs in the form of the wallpaper/background of each VD, or possibly a mini snapshot of the current state of the VD.

8 - A ‘container’ for a limited no. of NeXus and Workshelf shortcut icons.

9 & 10 - Two CPU modules, here showing CPU usage for each one’ s logical CPUs in the form of a bar graph. All the usual options are available, providing the theme has provided for them.

11 - A RAM module, same as for CPU modules.

12 - ‘My NextSTART Menu 1’ opens a regular NS menu. All menus and menu-like objects as well as any type of dock pop out of the bar vertically, parallel to it and starting at the position of the button that calls them up. In a vertical bar, that is to the side, in a horizontal one to the top or bottom.

13 & 14 - Two internal commands. 13 is the mini media player, while 14 invokes a NextSTART dock.

15 - Quickstart area container – expanding to a degree when required.

16 - System Tray area container – expanding to a degree when required.

17 - A clock module.

18 - A Weather module. (Like all in-bar modules, these are skinned separately and of course subject to the future multiple modules being available.)

19 & 20 - Two NextSTART sub-menu buttons, opening a sub-menu that displays the content of the respective drive.

21 - A NET module, here showing both in and out traffic.

22 - A regular NeXus dock.

23 - Mail module.

24 - Battery module.

25 – 28 - Regular NextSTART menu buttons.

29 - A NS Virtual Folder menu button showing the control panel items.

30 - Any standard NS internal command.



Horizontal Bar

A - Control Button/Icon – similar to that in Nexus but likely could not be removed as in NeXus as likely needed on a/c of the variable sizes.

B - ‘Start’ Button – this would be a replacement for the Windows ‘Start’ button and Startmenu, with a default special menu configured similar to the ‘Windows Classic’ Startmenu style available under Windows XP, but more useful and better laid out, with Programmes sub-divided into categories also.

C - Quickstart area container – expanding to a degree when required.

D - ‘Tasklist in a box’. This could be configured similarly to the NextSTART tasklist, although when in button mode size of buttons (and icons if any) determined by the theme, while if in icons only mode the size of icons could be limited by the theme. The tasklist will expand as and when needed.

E - System Tray area container – expanding to a degree when required.

F - (Not available yet and possibly not planned – yet!) Two virtual desktop modules in one container that show a graphic representation of two ‘captured’ Windows, or Dexpot etc VDs in the form of the wallpaper/background of each VD, or possibly a mini snapshot of the current state of the VD.

G - Clock module.

H - Four internal command buttons in a single container. From the top, 1st opens a NextSTART dock, 2nd starts the mini media player, 3rd any other regular internal command, 4th opens a regular NS menu.

J - Three mini modules in one container. From the top, two drive space modules, and a NET module.

K - Four mini modules in one container.

L - Four regular NextSTART menu buttons in a single container.

M - Four NS Virtual Folder menu buttons in a single container.

N - Two mini modules in one container.

O - Four NextSTART menu folder buttons in a single container.

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nexter - so, what's next?

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