DonationCoder.com Software > Find And Run Robot

A unified FARR / Launcher Interface Proposal

<< < (2/11) > >>

Amadawn:
mouser,

if you ever do this, you will have to make sure that the "launchbar" does not require hitting any key to be shown. For instance you should be able to dock it to the border of the screen and then, after a delay, it would show. If then you start typing the text should be put in the launch text and FARR should start a search. Then it would need to be able to auto-hide if you take the mouse from it AND you have not typed anything, but stay open if you typed something.

The problem with all this, as you can see, is that it seems that a launchbar is "mouse oriented" and while a launcher (such as FARR) is "keyboard oriented". Stricking the perfect balance between the two will be hard!

Angel

nontroppo:
Well, by default it would not dock at all, but simply require key activation as now. The option to dock would need, as you say, some thought. However I don't see why you cannot use a key to trigger it; alt+space or whatever could still be used to activate it in its docked state as if the mouse had hovered it etc.

If it lost focus and some text was entered, it could auto-hide, with the clever point that it does not erase the text when nothing was launched, thus reshowing it starts where you left off only if you failed to launch the previous time.

I think the correct balance between mouse and keyboard is quite possible.

Amadawn:
If you want a launcher (something that is as good or better than RocketDock, for instance), you need to be able to access it without using the keyboard. Otherwise, what would be the point? You'd first need to access the keyboard and then use the mouse to select the button that you want...

At least that's what I think!

Also, I hope mouser does not get distracted by this idea (which I think has merits and it is very woth considering! :) ) and does not delay the release of the next version of FARR. And I hope that even with these new features FARR stays as small and fast as it is right now.

What I like about your idea is that basically FARR is already almost launcher, as you can add apps to its toolbar. The only thing that is missing is the ability of having "submenus" and the dock/autohide capabilities. But for that very reason (that you can already configure the toolbar) I think that things like the already discussed frequency sorting, QuickSilver-like program controls, task management, control panel indexing and search optimization should be addressed first, in my opinion.

Cheers!

Angel

allen:
As long as the overhead doesn't increase by much, and I don't think it would knowing mouser, I don't think those of us who wouldn't use the launcher would object to the functionality being there so long as it could be removed.

As for FRR being an almost launcher, I think it's more than that -- at least for keyboardcentric users, it's a ver powerful, fully capable launcher.  Between its search setup and the configurable groups, launcher gives immediate access everything I need to get to with minimal interaction -- couple of keystrokes, and I'm where I want to be.  This isn't to say I don't understand FRR's obvious weaknesses to those who prefer to use the mouse to interface with their computer -- it takes no stretch of the imagination to see where FRR falls short in that regard.

Personally, I'd rather see unified than separate and I don't even have any immediate plans to use the launcher.  As mouser stated, it would be advantageous in terms of the ability to maintain groups as well as frequent/recent access lists between the two interfaces -- as well as other shared configurations.  On a day when I'm sitting back and actually using my mouse, if I toggle on the launcher module, all the stuff I'm used to accessing in FRR is right there and vice versa.

There's also the matter of having one application to maintain/support versus having two -- while having one that is merged would be more effort to maintain than either of the two as individuals, I can't imagine it would be easier to maintain them both than to maintain one app.

Plus, having one fully featured application ideally suited to both ends of the mouse v. keyboard debate is surely more likely to grab the attention of the WWW -- offering a loaded hybrid program is surely more valuable than offering two great but limited programs.

jgpaiva:
Since nontroppo sugested this in another topic, i thought it was a brilliant idea.
for me i use a launch bar as a kind of "visual memory"
--- End quote ---
I agree with mouser, seeing the apps right there, sometimes might be better that launching them, since it allows you not to forget what you have in your computer.

Another idea just popped to me:
With this adition, farr will let you not need start menu for anything. So, i was already thinking of a way to remove the button. Then i though: if this bar would have support for taskbar support (like yzdock has, similar to mac osx's dock, i think), farr would allow me to remove the taskbar and use only farr, in a much more intuitive way than the taskbar works!
(i just love this idea, but i know, it's just plain crazy, but still, a nice dream ;) )

ps: nontroppo, that skin is beautifull!  :tellme: :tellme:

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page