suggestion: More docking options

[superboyac]

I've been using LBC for a few weeks now, and the thing I desire most is more docking options.  So far, the options available are:
--permanent docked bar on edges of screen (I don't like it because it takes up screen space, but I love that it is always available no matter what window is open or maximized, etc.)

--Sliding docked bar that hides when not in use (My favorite option, but the sliding behavior is inconsistent and becomes frustrating to use).  I like this option because the toolbar is always available like the permanent dock, but it also allows you to retain the screen space.  I really hope this one gets improved upon.

--Tray icon menu.  (this is nice and unobtrusive.  Unfortunately, it is tiny and doesn't have the advantage the other toolbars have, which is being able to see those nice, big large buttons all at once.)

--Floating toolbar (I'm currently using this one because it takes up no screen space and I can see those big buttons all at once.  But what I don't like is that it gets hidden under other windows, and no, I don't want it to always be on top for obvious reasons).

Additional docking options I suggest:
--For the floating toolbar, it would be cool if you could "lock" it's position, so that there is no danger of moving it with the mouse

--Another feature that would be really cool for the floating toolbar is kind of a combination of the sliding/hidden toolbar with the floating window:  when you move the mouse to a specific edge of the window, the toolbar would automatically be moved to the top of the other windows.  This way, when the toolbar is in floating mode, you don't have to minimize all the windows to uncover the toolbar.  I really like this idea, how about you?  Maybe this could be a coding snack idea that could work with any program.

[mouser]

yes, i will give these high priority.

an additional one you didn't mention is: hotkey activation, which is actually the easiest to implement in many ways. 

you would configure the bar however you want - floating or docked, and then have a hotkey to toggle it as visible or not, much in the way that farr works (yet another reason to perhaps merge farr and lbc?)

[mouser]

this was just posted on shell extension city, which might be worth a try:

SideSlide - Stretch Your Desktop:

SideSlide is an advanced, unobtrusive, dockable, skinnable, keyboard accessible, highly configurable Desktop Extension on Steroids! SideSlide will help you to finally clean desktop clutter and will make your computer friendlier and faster than ever before. Get instant access to everything you have and so much more...

Dock SideSlide to any screen edge; keep shortcuts to files, folders and URLs you frequently visit; execute various commands quicker than ever; add multiple notes; multiple, sizable, pictures; schedule reminders; save web snippets and more...Customize it to emphasize the things you use the most and make more information accessible without occupying precious screen space. By using containers you can shrink and fold, linking containers to actual folders on disk, Launch Groups that allow you to start multiple programs at once, zooming in and out of shortcuts, keyboard navigation, different skins, different size pictures, picture containers and colored notes; SideSlide is designed to make a great deal of content instantly accessible.

http://www.northglide.com/sideslide.html

[mimiihu]

(...)But what I don't like is that it gets hidden under other windows, and no, I don't want it to always be on top for obvious reasons.

(...)This way, when the toolbar is in floating mode, you don't have to minimize all the windows to uncover the toolbar.  I really like this idea, how about you?  Maybe this could be a coding snack idea that could work with any program.

-superboyac (November 20, 2006, 04:01 PM)

about the floating mode, i agree. but i would go for an extra checkbox option to "minimize to systray after launch" like "pstart" has. that way, after you execute something it would minimize the bar automatically, so the systray icon would be always available to invoke it.
moving the mouse to the edge to reveal a bar is not 100% accurate specially with maximized windows (it happens even with the windows taskbar).

another thing, to call the floating bar from systray it takes a triple-click. kinda strange. double-click will open the menu directly from the systray and close it again. i think double-click should launch the bar and keep the left click for app menu and the right click for context menu as it is.

as what i think is a bug but doesn't have any bad effect is the last empty line both on the app menu (after my last button there's a separator and an empty line which when clicked pops-up the context menu) and on the conxtext menu (which when clicked invokes the settings window).
if it's easy it would be nice to remove them just to polish up our baby.

[mouser]

i like these general ideas - i think it makes sense to add a hotkey or menu item that would let you quickly show a launch bar just to launch something and then close up again to tray..

this is like find+run robot - again another argument for combining them i guess..