Title bar for apps

[Vosjedev]

Hi! I realy enjoy this project, I am using it to manage my server via ssh.

Could you implement something like a titlebar-window to put apps in? currently i am using configurations like this:
<item id=htop label="Htop" type=DirectVT title="Htop" param="$0 -r term htop" notes=" Interactive process viewer "/>
to make an app have a titlebar.
I am thinking about a titlebar like the demo-apps, but with a custom terminal-command.
I also encounter some problems when I use this config from the preset in the readme:
<item id=mc label="mc" type=SHELL title="Midnight Commander" param="mc" notes=" run Midnight Commander in its own window "/>
or for lfm:
<item id=lfm label="LFM" type=DirectVT title="Last File Manager" param="lfm" notes=" run Last File Manager in its own window "/>
It just displays the midnight commander window, and I cant move/resize it. also, some apps using this configuration (like lfm) start a window, then disapear, and lfm ends up running in the background without a window. using
<item id=lfm label="LFM" type=DirectVT title="Last File Manager" param="$0 -r term lfm" notes=" run Last File Manager in its own window "/> fixes this.

Thanks!

[o-sdn-o]

Hi! Thanks for feedback!

I also encounter some problems when I use this config from the preset in the readme:
<item id=mc label="mc" type=SHELL title="Midnight Commander" cmd="mc" notes=" run Midnight Commander in its own window "/>

UI controls (top/bottom bar + menu) that allow you to drag the window are provided by the built-in vtm terminal. They are only present (and work) if your application is running on top of the built-in vtm terminal that using DirectVT, like the following:

• type=DirectVT cmd="$0 -r term _your_app_executable_path_".

Next, type=SHELL is used to run cmd='command' on top of the default system shell. So, the following entries will be equivalent:

• type=SHELL cmd='mc'
• type=ANSIVT cmd='bash -c mc'

In this case, there will be no UI controls from the vtm side.

type=DirectVT can only be used to run applications that support the DirectVT protocol (protocol is not documented yet). In the example, applications are launched on top of the built-in vtm terminal (which supports this terminal protocol). E.g., type=DirectVT cmd="$0 -r term mc". Here $0 will be replaced with the path to the current vtm instance.

The following entries will be suitable for your config:

• <item id=mc label="mc" type=DirectVT title="Midnight Commander" cmd="$0 -r term mc" notes=" run Midnight Commander in its own window "/>
• <item id=lfm label="LFM" type=DirectVT title="Last File Manager" cmd="$0 -r term lfm" notes=" run Last File Manager in its own window "/>

P.S.: I need to update the readme.

[o-sdn-o]

Could you implement something like a titlebar-window to put apps in? currently i am using configurations like this:

to make an app have a titlebar.

Good idea, I'll add a type= that has a draggable title/bar, or just make an additional option titlebar to add a draggable bar under the title.

Something like ... type=TITLEBAR cmd='content_generator_command' or ... titlebar cmd='content_generator_command':

Window Title
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀     <-  draggable bar
- content - content - content - content -
- content - content - content - content -
- content - content - content - content -
- content - content - content - content -

[o-sdn-o]

I'm currently implementing a configuration merge. This is when the DirectVT application receives a config patch at startup, this is the config subparameter inside item

<item ...>
     <config>
         <term>
             ...
         </term>
     </config>
</item>

When I'm done, you can say something like

<item ...>
    <config>
        <term>
            <selection mode=none/>
        </term>
    </config>
</item>

In this case, the window can be dragged with the mouse using its entire surface.

[Vosjedev]

Nice! I think sometimes dragging a window using it's entire surface is not practical, but realy like the type=TITLEBAR idea. I guess I need to learn python3 (C is to difficult for me yet) now, so I can develop apps for your DE.😀 (see my comment on issue 'wow' #120 )

[o-sdn-o]

I'm thinking of changing the DirectVT/ANSIVT/SHELL concept to make it easier and clearer than it is now. Each option will have a built-in terminal menu that can be customized.

[o-sdn-o]

It should be like

SHELL=ANSIVT with prefix ‘bash -c ’ to ‘cmd’s value.

ANSIVT=DirectVT with prefix ‘$0 -r term ’ to ‘cmd’s value.

The following items are the same

<item …. type=SHELL cmd=‘mc’/>
<item …. type=ANSIVT cmd=‘bash -c mc’/>
<item …. type=DirectVT cmd=‘$0 -r term bash -c mc’/>

[o-sdn-o]

After these changes, the need for a titlebar will probably disappear. It will have to be tested.

[o-sdn-o]

@Vosjedev Now you can specify your own menu for the built-in terminal. See #304 for reference. Could you please check if this approach closes the titlebar issue?

~/.config/vtm/settings.xml:

<config>
    <menu selected=Term>
        <item*/>         <!-- Remove default item records. -->
        <item id=Term>   <!-- title=id type=SHELL cmd=os_default_shell by default-->
            <config>
                <term>
                    <menu> <!-- Menu with one item -->
                        <item*/> <!-- Zeroize existing menu. -->
                        <item label="ls /bin" action=TerminalSendKey data="ls /bin\n"/>
                    </menu>
                </term>
            </config>
        </item>
        <item id=htop label="htop" type=DirectVT cmd="$0 -r term htop" notes=" run htop ">
            <config>
                <term>
                    <menu> <!-- Empty menu -->
                        <item*/> <!-- Zeroize existing menu. -->
                    </menu>
                </term>
            </config>
        </item>
        <item id=lfm label="LFM" type=DirectVT title="Last File Manager" cmd="$0 -r term lfm" notes=" run Last File Manager in its own window "/>
        <autorun*/> <!-- Zeroize default autoruns. -->
    </menu>
</config>

[o-sdn-o]

I close the issue. Please feel free to reopen if the problem still exists.