IDEAs: desktop icon management

[Grizzly Bear]

Phase 1:   Save/restore icon positions on the desktop to an easily selectable file.   So
                  you can maintain several icon layouts.

Phase 2:  "Corrals".   Polygon lines drawn on the desktop that group icons within them.
                 Affordances-wigets-buttons that re-order each icon group by modification date,
                 or name or just previous saved order.  Ideally, the polygon lines would be in a layer
                 between the background and the windows.  Could be useful for each corral to be
                 a folder (semi-hard links like Cygwin creates with ln -s, better than shortcuts, though
                 it would become difficult to really delete an object). 

I used to have different icon sets for the desktop in alternate desktop folders in 98; much
harder in XP due to locked files and folders; I can't just move/mv the folders back and forth.

Ideally also, this would be scripty/scriptable, easy to modify, add to, written in
AutoHotKey or NewLisp.  (I want AutoHotKey for Linux/FreeBSD X, I'm trying to run PerlTOP)


And, separate issue, grrrr, I just erased my entire posting by hitting escape, a reflex from "vi".
Something to capture/restore what "esc" erases. 

[brotherS]

And, separate issue, grrrr, I just erased my entire posting by hitting escape, a reflex from "vi".
Something to capture/restore what "esc" erases. 

-Grizzly Bear (March 04, 2006, 02:18 PM)

I can't help with your request, but you should complain to ANYONE using ESC for anything BUT close, empty, leave, discard, delete, disable, etc.


Besides, ESC does not cause my browser to delete this posting while I'm writing it. If my browser would do it, I'd use AutoHotkey to stop that ASAP

[jgpaiva]

Hi Grizzly Bear!
You could have done a small search, this has been requested (and solved) a few days ago: https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=2481.0
As for phase 2, i don't know how it's possible to do that

[nudone]

i know there are two camps around here: those of us that use the desktop like a 'desktop' and throw everything upon it and those of us (well, okay, not me) that use well organised menus with completely empty, pure and clean desktops (okay, i have an untidy desktop but i've a well organised start menu too, so, the best of both worlds, really)...

mouser, created 'desktop corral' quite a while ago which was a very handy app for combining with things like 'samurize' but i have to admit i like the sound of what 'Grizzly Bear' is requesting in the 'Phase 2' part.

for those of us that use the desktop as a temporary/work space/reminder/etc/etc type location i'd like to have different sets of 'desktops' i could save and load in when performing certain tasks, i.e. the video editing desktop with relevent files/folder and shortcuts to programs that i would be using. i'd then 'load' in a different desktop when 'browsing' or 'audio editing'.

maybe this is just a case of using virtual desktops and i'm talking a load of rubbish. i also think i'm getting a bit of deja vu here.