[GRASS5] usability tweak on OSX

[Michael Barton]

I can understand and appreciate the philosophy behind this discussion. But
it still remains that the 'default' that Hamish proposed seems more
convenient than the existing 'default' for many of the increasing number of
GRASS users who may be sophisticated in GIS use, but know little of tweaking
x-windows parameters (and care less due to limited time and energy).

Is there some way that the lines proposed can check to see if a user has
decided to set up a custom window configuration? If so, it honors it; if
not, it goes with a configuration that spaces windows in a generally useful
placement (more useful than stacked on top of each other a bit left and
above center). 

Whether we do nothing or define a set of windows placements, we are
determining where windows open on start up in the normal--unaltered--state.
That is, terms of the actual effect for the user, whatever we do determines
a window placement configuration. The main thing is to NOT override any
customization that a more sophisticated users might want to have.

Just my 2 centimos worth.

Michael

On 6/16/05 2:02 PM, "Glynn Clements" <glynn at gclements.plus.com> wrote:

> 
> Hamish wrote:
> 
>>>>>> +    eval exec -- xterm -geometry -50-40 -e [...]
>> ..
>>>>> We definitely shouldn't be hardcoding xterm placement inside d.m.
>> ..
>>> Bad practice. Specifying -geometry will override most of the
>>> mechanisms by which the user can configure the placement.
>> ..
>>> In general, per process settings (e.g. a -geometry switch) are
>>> supposed to override any "global" settings (e.g. WM configuration
>>> files).
>> 
>> Right. Command line params should always override defaults. Got it.
>> 
>> Is it possible for us to set xrdb/.Xresources settings on the fly?
>> 
>> e.g. we provide e.g. $GISBASE/etc/grass.Xresources and point xrdb to it
>> in Init.sh. Then (re)run xrdb on ~/.Xresources if it exists to let
>> folks maintain their own preferences. (Hopefully that overrides previous
>> settings of the same name?)
> 
> Running xrdb at all is usually a bad idea unless you are accessing
> multiple hosts from a single X display and want the same resource
> settings on all hosts. The reason is that Xt completely ignores
> ~/.Xdefaults if the RESOURCE_MANAGER property exists (i.e. if xrdb has
> been run).
> 
> If "xrdb -query" generates any output, either you're making extensive
> use of remote X clients, or your X startup was written by someone who
> doesn't understand X. Unfortunately, the latter is quite common.
> 
> Window placement is meant to be a user choice. Just because some users
> don't understand how to express that choice, it doesn't mean that we
> should be deciding it.

____________________
C. Michael Barton, Professor of Anthropology
School of Human Evolution and Social Change
PO Box 872402
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ  85287-2402
USA

Phone: 480-965-6262
Fax: 480-965-7671
www: <www.public.asu.edu/~cmbarton>