OK I know that there were other threads proposing KDE brainstorm (based on IdeaTorrent) or similar stuff.
But I think we need a consolidated thread where all ideas proposal would be posted.
I also know there is bug.kde.org, but this is like a test-tube for ideas to see are they worked upon, are they good...
If mods or admins don't think this is a right place to have this thread or this thread is not needed, you can move it /merge it /delete it...
So here are few of my idea:
1) consolidated theme-ing / customization settings.
Right now the customization (eg. Wallpaper, plasma theme, widget theme,...)
Are all over the place and more so at some you can install from net (kde-look.org) with other that's not an option.
While I think that they are broken up, so that you notice them when changing a specified thing. Meaning that when I go to desktop settings I expect to have an option to download new plasma theme and wallpaper.
But with that in system settings -> appearance there should option to customize and download everything. From widget style, windows decoration style to mouse cursor theme. because as it is now (in KDE4.2) many of this settings are scattered around and some are hard to find.

2) Ability to keep widgets on top of everything
This is already done by google gadgets and Windows 7 (yes i'm one of those that installed the beta). While this can be annoying, but sometimes you have to eye on something.
And to add something unique, this should (could) be done for panel to.
So when you mark windows can cover you could also mark keep on top so that you get the best of two worlds (when you need this) you can have the full-screen apps and still quickly accessible panels.

What they say: that's just my two cents (I really don't understand this expression /in etymological sense/, but understand what it means)

i think this would be great for some widgets.. (activity tabs, etc.)

so.. ill post this idea on brainstorm and kdebugs .. but first here...

i just made first contact to "gitso" and it does a reverse VNC connection ... Oo wth isn't this standard? the person who needs support connects to the supporter who will then have the troubles with NAT and firewalls but he will be able to handle it..

gitso uses x11vnc and vncviewer.

My idea is, to add gitso like funktionality (maybe as plugin) to kopete!!! so you would just have to klick on "give support" and the other user clicks on your nickname and finds the option "get support" ... thats all..

I've posted it somewhere before but I would really like to have an extend window switcher. The current implementation is good, especially with effects enabled, but it could be extended to be much more than just a window switcher.

Some features (I might have posted them in an older thread, but what the heck):

• Clicking on a thumbnail while switching windows focuses on said window;
• Easier navigation. When switching is invoked the user is able to walk through windows by using the arrow keys, instead of having to hit the keyboard shortcut for window switching again;
• Application centric window switching. This would be a killer feature for me. On a Mac the alt+tab (or rather command+tab) behaviour invokes an application switcher, so windows are grouped by their parent application. After you select the application icon of your choice you can walk through the window children by hitting command+~.

mensch wrote:Clicking on a thumbnail while switching windows focuses on said window;

Already implemented, can't remember if it's in 4.1 but it exists in 4.2.

mensch wrote:Easier navigation. When switching is invoked the user is able to walk through windows by using the arrow keys, instead of having to hit the keyboard shortcut for window switching again;

http://www.undefinedfire.com/kde/alttab ... s-quickly/

It allows you to both use the arrow keys to navigate as well as using the filter to limit which windows are displayed.

mensch wrote:Application centric window switching. This would be a killer feature for me. On a Mac the alt+tab (or rather command+tab) behaviour invokes an application switcher, so windows are grouped by their parent application. After you select the application icon of your choice you can walk through the window children by hitting command+~.

That one isn't, is there any Linux version that already exists though?

Zarin wrote:Already implemented, can't remember if it's in 4.1 but it exists in 4.2.

Cool! It's working for my on 4.2, I think it never did in 4.1. An further enhancement could be a selection rectangle (or some other selection indication) when you hover over the thumbnail.

mensch wrote:http://www.undefinedfire.com/kde/alttabbing-lots-windows-quickly/

It allows you to both use the arrow keys to navigate as well as using the filter to limit which windows are displayed.

I'm going to try that one later today. But it's using the present windows effect, rather than the window switching mechanics. Would be great if both methods were possibilities for both effects.

mensch wrote:That one isn't, is there any Linux version that already exists though?

No I don't believe there's any Linux distribution or free window manager which implements this behaviour. Not sure why, X.org limitiations might be the problem.

waldelf wrote:i think this would be great for some widgets.. (activity tabs, etc.)

so.. ill post this idea on brainstorm and kdebugs .. but first here...

i just made first contact to "gitso" and it does a reverse VNC connection ... Oo wth isn't this standard? the person who needs support connects to the supporter who will then have the troubles with NAT and firewalls but he will be able to handle it..

gitso uses x11vnc and vncviewer.

My idea is, to add gitso like funktionality (maybe as plugin) to kopete!!! so you would just have to klick on "give support" and the other user clicks on your nickname and finds the option "get support" ... thats all..

That is a wonderful idea!
There is an idea in Ubuntu brainstorm that propossed that solution: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/17102/

Reordering windows in task bar. This has been implemented in Gnome for more than a year, and AFAIK will be in Windows 7. Why not in KDE?

KSiimson wrote:Reordering windows in task bar. This has been implemented in Gnome for more than a year, and AFAIK will be in Windows 7. Why not in KDE?

Will be in 4.2
http://techbase.kde.org/Schedules/KDE4/ ... -workspace
Subsection "Plasma", third entry

Cheers,
_

I have a fuzzy idea how to get rid of system tray that was propose on some other thread.
I also proposed this idea on Ubuntu Brainstorm but got mostly negative votes.
I think there should be an "catcher" widget that would turn non-KDE apps into a plasmoid.
So when you send a non-KDE app to system tray (which you don't have as you don't need it) they instead
are caught by the "catcher" widget and transformed to plasmoid with all the "bells and whistles" of their system tray state.

What do you think??

We soon will (may) have a brainstorm section, maybe a dedicated forum for it
If you are subscribed to the kde-promo ML, we already discussed a bit there.

It would have a ideaTorrent like voting system, a brainstorm team maybe, and a few more things.

Primoz wrote:I think there should be an "catcher" widget that would turn non-KDE apps into a plasmoid.
So when you send a non-KDE app to system tray (which you don't have as you don't need it) they instead
are caught by the "catcher" widget and transformed to plasmoid with all the "bells and whistles" of their system tray state.

The system tray plasmoid is already a "catcher" in the sense that it provides the host interface for system tray window embedding.

Applications which create system tray representations do not directly address a certain system tray in the sense that they tell the system tray what to show, they rather create an additional "window" and the system tray "captures" this window and places it within its own.

This gives the system tray basically no control over what the applications do with their part.

A new specification for a better system is being worked on, but it will take time until it is widely used.

Cheers,
_

If you haven't noticed, the KRunner calculator is broken. A (seemingly) simple solution would be to replace it with google calculator until its fixed, which is not only more accurate, but has a wider range of constants and unit conversions. Retrieving Calculator results from google isn't hard (there are example programs on the internet) and an idea of how it would work can be had in the new google search bar for firefox, which automatically evaluates expressions in the drop down box. Thinks?

We already have kalgebra, including a kalgebra plasmoid. I think it would be better to use that.

I have made a mockup with some of those ideas

kde-4-3-mockup-ideas-plasma-decorator-t-35956.html

TheBlackCat wrote:We already have kalgebra, including a kalgebra plasmoid. I think it would be better to use that.

KAlgebra has the advantage that it has constants (predefined and user defined)
useful for quick trig/geom/phys calculations etc... this could be added to the current qtscript based calculator though. Also, the runner would have to compensate for KAlgebra's occasionally sticky syntax.

Something I'd like to see is being able to use units in calculations with k-m-s and derived units automatically evaluated, (other unit systems would be converted to + converted back after?) and the ability to specify the return unit ( "in V" ) which would also catch many typing errors. Edit: Along with this, I would like to see physical constants (elem. charge, speed of light, planck constants...)

This would basically replace (or utilize) the unit converter runner (though the unit converter needs to recognize derived units first, grrr)

The benefit of google calculator would have been that it already has much of this, and more, implemented. But I can see that a built in engine would be preferable.


[align=center] *** techie part *** [/align]

Looking at the code for the calculator runner, it seems trivial to fix the power problems ( pun intended) Maybe I should... Unfortunately I can't get my plasma trunk build to work. oh bother :P

The problems are:

• e+/- is replaced with ^+/- should be *10^+/-
• if (cmd.contains('^')) should be while (...) *
• cmd.replace('^', ',') should be cmd.replace(where, 1, ',') **

* - 'cmd' is the expression
** - 'where' is the position [0..length - 1] of the '^' in the expression
- '1' means "replace 1 character", starting from 'where', with ','

file: 4.2 | trunk
in method CalculatorRunner::powSubstitutions

Odd how this is referred to as "userFriendlySubstitutions"