Sidebar Screenlet (Vista'ish look)

[whise]

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9937/631721vi8.th.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=631721vi8.jpg)
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1980/addaa4.th.png (http://img294.imageshack.us/my.php?image=addaa4.png)

Description:
A themeable Sidebar Screenlet, now it allows you to add screenlets through the menu , and also allows you to install screenlet packages in a easyer way then the screenlet manager by drag drop the screenlet tar file into the sidebar




To install with the screenlet manager rename the downloaded file to sidebar.tar.gz


Note : Screenlet version 0.0.7 and 0.0.9 are completely different , 0.0.7 works on beryl and compiz but not on compiz fusion , 0.0.9 works on compiz fusion but not in its predecessors...


Instructions to make it work like a sidebar

First go on the sidebar properties and select "keep bellow" and unselect "keep above"
then on all the other screenlets go on properties and unselect "keep above" but DO NOT select "keep bellow" , that way the sidebar will stay bellow and all the other screenlets will stay on top off it but bellow all other windows

http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Sidebar+Screenlet+%28Vista%27ish+look%29?content=6 3172

[maluze]

Hi. I was thinking somewhat along the lines of, is it possible to make the sidebar disappear? and reappear if you go to the screen's edge? I dunno if you have ever used Google's widgets that come along with the windows version of Google Desktop, but thats how they work...

[whise]

you can use the widget plugin of compiz , compiz fusion or beryl for that

[maluze]

i dont think you get what i am saying. In google widgets, the widgets (clock, notepad, etc.) can be located on the sidebar, and you can have it so that the sidebar is hidden, along with all the widgets on it, unless or untill you move the cursor to the side of the screen (and then it slides back out). Currently there is no way for that to be done in compiz fusion or any window manager, i think...



click here to see what i mean: http://desktop.google.com/features.html#gadgets

[whise]

oh i see i could probably make it so the sidebar hide until the mouse is on screen edge but only the sidebar , since i cant control other screenlets , maybe in future releases of screenlets it could be possible

[RYX]

A nice way of controlling other screenlets is to simply control them through their dbus-services. See the file "services-example.py" for that ... You can move them wherever you like, you just need to keep track of opened screenlets (you could simply store them in a hidden list-option) ...

:)

[whise]

i was trying to do somthing like

self.add_option(BoolOption('Sidebar', 'auto_add_screenlet_clock',
screenlets.launch_screenlet('Clock'), 'Automaticly launch clock screenlet',

and do it for the non custom screenlets , but no matter what i do it always launches the clock screenlet , no matter if its set to true or false
can you give me a clue at what im doing wrong?
im not a python programer ,im not a noob i know how to program in some other languages ,but im still beginning here

well im gona take a look at the dbus service

[RYX]

You could use a (hidden) ListOption and save the names of new screenlets in it when they are added through the "Add"-menu (you can override on_menuitem_select for getting the name of newly added screenlets). Then, when your sidebar is launched, you could simply launch all screenlets in the list using screenlets.launch_screenlet ... maybe you need to do that in on_realize, otherwise the options may not be updated (maybe we'll need some additional handler for that).

:)

[alex1974]

Finally compiz-fusion is running. I downloaded awn and it works fine. Now I wanted to add screenlets and the sidebar.
But can anybody give me a hint how?
I'm pretty sure I have the new version. I see the screenlets in the application menu. And now?
Thanks for the help,
Alex

[plun]

Version 0.4 :)

http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Sidebar+Screenlet+(Vista%27ish+look)?content=63172

It seems to be a problem with the built in "Add screenlet" function...it works 1 time
then the Sidebar must be restarted :confused:

[whise]

version 0.5

allows to install screenlets by drag drop the tar file into the sidebar , better then the screenlet manager

[davim]

version 0.5

allows to install screenlets by drag drop the tar file into the screenlet , better then the screenlet manager

really cool :)

[Speedator]

Doesn't work vor me (gutsy, screenlets 0.10):
DAEMON FOUND!
Sidebar
Launching Screenlet from: /usr/local/share/screenlets/Sidebar/SidebarScreenlet.py
Logging output goes to: $HOME/.config/Screenlets/SidebarScreenlet.log
ScreenletsDaemon: registered SidebarScreenlet
REGISTER screenlet: SidebarScreenlet
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/share/screenlets/Sidebar/SidebarScreenlet.py", line 185, in <module>
screenlets.session.create_session(SidebarScreenlet )
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/session.py", line 392, in create_session
session.start()
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/session.py", line 186, in start
sl = self.screenlet(session=self, id=self.__get_next_id())
File "/usr/local/share/screenlets/Sidebar/SidebarScreenlet.py", line 48, in __init__
self.theme_name = "default"
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/__init__.py", line 521, in __setattr__
self.load_theme(self.get_theme_dir() + value)
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/__init__.py", line 772, in load_theme
self.theme = ScreenletTheme(path)
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/__init__.py", line 124, in __init__
self.loaded = self.__load_all()
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/__init__.py", line 247, in __load_all
if self.load_png(fname) == False:
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/screenlets/__init__.py", line 222, in load_png
"/" + filename)
IOError: error while reading from input stream


:(

[heruan]

Amazing work!
It would be nice also an option to make sidebar acting as a panel, so that maximized windows won't cover it.
Another feature could be a docking system for other screenlets, or maybe a option on the Screenlet class like "Sidebar screenlet" which docks automagically the screenlet to the sidebar.

[ticopelp]

Doesn't work vor me (gutsy, screenlets 0.10):


:(

+1. I received this same error when trying to run the Sidebar screenlet, also in Gutsy.

[whise]

that bug is from screenlet core not the sidebar

[michote]

it works for me in gutsy

what about making it scalable only in width?

[Speedator]

whise: are you sure? and is it already fixed?

[whise]

done .

[whise]

new version check out the features

A themeable Sidebar Screenlet: Install , launch and manage screenlets through the sidebar menu , also allows you to install screenlet packages by drag drop the screenlet tar file into the sidebar , you can reserve screen space for the sidebar and also select the alignment

[heruan]

Let me say Vista's sidebar is a beautiful and functional thing, and let me say the Sidebar screenlet is going to have all those features and also something more. I know that what I'm going to say means a severe interaction with the other screenlets and maybe the window manager, but I think it would be great a sort of docking system for the other screenlets on the bar, i.e. automatically alignment (like the Vista's one).

[Forlong]

Tried the new version today and I can't get it to the right side of the screen. It always starts on the left side.

I remember that it worked before - Gutsy's Compiz version (now git) and a previous version of Sidebar - don't which one's the problem here.

Here's the error message:
Error in screenlets.session.connect_daemon: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.screenlets.ScreenletsDaemon was not provided by any .service files
Found a running session of Sidebar, adding new instance by service.
Error in screenlets.services.get_service_by_name: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.screenlets.Sidebar was not provided by any .service files


edit: OK... I switched to Metacity and I could move the Sidebar just fine. So it has something to do with the git-version of Compiz. What could possibly be the problem?

edit²: when I run Compiz without ccp it works! (but that's not much fun ;))
But I have no clue what setting to tweak...

final edit: turns out it was the Place plugin
I filed a bugreport (http://bugs.opencompositing.org/show_bug.cgi?id=655). Would be cool if you (whise) could add something there.

[Blehhh]

The sidebar does looks nice :)

But! I have a strange problem. After is resized it, you still can see the previous sizes trough the sidebar. Is there a solution for it?

http://www.tellmehow.nl/Screenshot.png

Thanks a lot!

[Blehhh]

Oh, sorry. Solved it by killing the ~/.config/Screenlets dir and re-installed it.

Thanks anyway for you nice work!

[Forlong]

You have probably multiple sidebars running. Try choosing Delete Screenlet in the context menu.


btw: the sidebar works again in latest git. :)
Danny Baumann fixed it, see bugzilla link above.

[heruan]

Great work!
I think the only thing missing on the Sidebar Screenlet is a docking system for the other screenlets. I mean a sort of auto-positiong and auto-resizing almost like Vista's one, in which dropping widgets into the sidebar orders them.

[davim]

Great work!
I think the only thing missing on the Sidebar Screenlet is a docking system for the other screenlets. I mean a sort of auto-positiong and auto-resizing almost like Vista's one, in which dropping widgets into the sidebar orders them.

that would be great :)

[heruan]

Great work!
I think the only thing missing on the Sidebar Screenlet is a docking system for the other screenlets. I mean a sort of auto-positiong and auto-resizing almost like Vista's one, in which dropping widgets into the sidebar orders them.

Another idea: I saw the Google sidebar for Vista (from Google Desktop suite) and I found very nice the option for every screenlet "Attach to sidebar/Detach from sidebar".

[darkmaniac]

hi guys!

is there anyway to make the sidebar unaffected by the show desktop button?

[aantn]

Let me say Vista's sidebar is a beautiful and functional thing, and let me say the Sidebar screenlet is going to have all those features and also something more. I know that what I'm going to say means a severe interaction with the other screenlets and maybe the window manager, but I think it would be great a sort of docking system for the other screenlets on the bar, i.e. automatically alignment (like the Vista's one).

The docking is impossible with the current architecture. I'm working on a universal applets framework based on screenlets that should make it possible...

I'll see if I can get it working in my branch.

[whise]

docking the 'standard' way is impossible , however i can workarround it using dbus , and i will add that to the sidebar , it already has some dbus work on the sidebar , moving screenlets from right to left

[heruan]

I'm trying version 2, docking is amazing!
Thanks Whise :)

[rorzer]

The docking is good,

I'd also like to see auto-positioning of docked screenlets.

The idea for a context menu option for all screenlets to dock in the sidebar would be a good supplement to drag and drop.

It would also be nice if the sidebar didn't grab the focus from screenlets docked in it marked "keep below", if I uncheck "keep below" then screenlets sometimes end up above unfocussed windows & look messy. Maybe this is impossible. Ideally the sidebar would have it's own layer in compiz-fusion, under the workspace, but above the background image. Panels could occupy the same layer.

Anyway, good work again. I likes it. I especially like the "reserved" alignment option. I like being able to have maximised windows avoid the sidebar, but still be able to drag windows above it when I need to.

[heruan]

Sidebar is a great screenlet, this is only a suggestions: make a sort of "magnet" to keep screenlets on the sidebar to positioning upper as possibile (say, ugh, like Vista's one). Every screenlet would be distancing from the above one by some pixels, and if the screenlet above grows in height (like toggling weather mini-view on/off) all screenlets below will lower their Y-position. This can be generalized to a bottom, left or right "magnet".