Amiga.org

Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: sim085 on July 22, 2009, 07:25:11 PM

Title: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 22, 2009, 07:25:11 PM
Hello,

Something which annoys me in Workbench 3.1 is that when I have a lot of windows open I can not just click on a window to get it infront. I decided to search on Aminet and I did find a tool that could help me out:

http://aminet.net/package/util/mouse/ClickToFront

However the problem with this tool is that when I click on a bench icon all the open window get hidden behind the Workbench window!

My question are these;

1) Do you know of any other tool that does this? That is activate widow on click.

2) Is there maybe another tool that makes workbench window always be the last windows?

Regards,
Sim085
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: tone007 on July 22, 2009, 07:37:03 PM
I generally select the "Backdrop" option on Workbench, that way it's always in the background.  I never got the reason for making it a seperate window.
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: lsmart on July 22, 2009, 08:18:19 PM
AFAIR the "clickToFront" commodity is included since OS 2.1. So there should be no need to go to Aminet for this. The aforementioned "Backdrop"-option is available via the Workbench-menu (first item) and can also be toggled by pressing Amiga-B. Turning off the backdrop option is especially useful when a large window is obscuring the drive-icon you want to get to.
You can choose "Snapshot" from the "Window"-menu to keep Workbench in Backdrop mode even after a reboot.

That being said you should perhaps configure "clickToFront" to only accept double clicking. This has the huge advantage that you are still able to operate windows in the background. This is especially handy if you are running Workbench in traditional resolutions (ie. not much screen real-estate).
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: T3000 on July 22, 2009, 09:45:02 PM
Quote from: lsmart;516571
you are still able to operate windows in the background.

This is something missing in all other OSs. Actually, I like XP. ...and yes, it is very convenient to be able to operate in a back window without having it have to come to the front.
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 23, 2009, 08:45:39 AM
Quote from: lsmart;516571
AFAIR the "clickToFront" commodity is included since OS 2.1.


Where? Do you mean the icon to the right. I was more thinking of something that where ever you click on a window it would come to the front.

Quote from: T3000;516571
it is very convenient to be able to operate in a back window without having it have to come to the front


Do you mean that this feature was not included in Workbench on purpose? What is the reason behind that? Is this feature also lacking in Workbench 3.5, 3.9 and 4.0?
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: Flashlab on July 23, 2009, 09:02:16 AM
Quote from: sim085;516616
Where? Do you mean the icon to the right. I was more thinking of something that where ever you click on a window it would come to the front.



Do you mean that this feature was not included in Workbench on purpose? What is the reason behind that? Is this feature also lacking in Workbench 3.5, 3.9 and 4.0?


He never said that. I think it's very convenient to have active windows not always come to the front. I use ClickToFront with 2 clicks. An example of why this is convenient? At work I use the Windows calculator and would like it be on top when working with other programs. True, there are some programs that can always on top in Windows but the Amiga approach is more flexible.
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 23, 2009, 09:07:58 AM
Quote from: Flashlab;516618
He never said that. I think it's very convenient to have active windows not always come to the front. I use ClickToFront with 2 clicks. An example of why this is convenient? At work I use the Windows calculator and would like it be on top when working with other programs. True, there are some programs that can always on top in Windows but the Amiga approach is more flexible.


I do have the ClickToFront with 2 clicks. The problem is that when I click on an icon such as "Ram Disk", "System" I get the Workbench window in front and this hides all the other open windows. I would like to avoid this.
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: amiga_user on July 23, 2009, 09:12:49 AM
Quote from: sim085;516616
Where?

In Tools/Commodities/
Quote from: sim085;516616
Do you mean that this feature was not included in Workbench on purpose?

Yes. If you do not like this feature ClickToFront is included in AmigaOS since 2.x
Quote from: sim085;516616
Is this feature also lacking in Workbench 3.5, 3.9 and 4.0?

Yes. In Workbench 3.5, 3.9, 4.0 and even 4.1
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: amiga_user on July 23, 2009, 09:15:07 AM
Quote from: sim085;516619
The problem is that when I click on an icon such as "Ram Disk", "System" I get the Workbench window in front and this hides all the other open windows. I would like to avoid this.

From Workbench menu choose Backdrop
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: marcfrick2112 on July 23, 2009, 09:23:25 AM
sim085:  As said before, it may be easiest to set the Workbench window as a 'backdrop'.

See lsmart's post above :) I can't seem to cut and paste right now....

If set to 'backdrop' the Workbench window won't pop in front, because it's... ummm, no longer a window.... try it.....
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 23, 2009, 09:26:35 AM
Quote from: amiga_user;516620
In Tools/Commodities/


Do I have to move the ClickToFront icon to WBStartUp? When I double click on it nothing happens? Or maybe I have to run it from Schell.


Quote from: amiga_user;516621
From Workbench menu choose Backdrop


Can I set workbench to always start as backdrop?
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: Daedalus on July 23, 2009, 10:12:24 AM
Yes, when the Workbench window is active, choose Snapshot->Window from the Window menu...
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 23, 2009, 10:15:29 AM
Quote from: Daedalus;516625
Yes, when the Workbench window is active, choose Snapshot->Window from the Window menu...


Yes ... that just came to mind and went to try it out! :) ... thanks.
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 23, 2009, 10:20:31 AM
Found this to configure clickToFront .. will try it out ;)

http://www.amigau.com/amigarealm/thisoldworkbench/html/towb19.html
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: zipper on July 23, 2009, 10:21:14 AM
You can do this and many other tricks using multicx from Aminet.
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: Fransexy_ on July 23, 2009, 10:49:03 AM
Quote from: sim085;516566
Hello,

Something which annoys me in Workbench 3.1 is that when I have a lot of windows open I can not just click on a window to get it infront.


What annoys me is just the opposite in other operating systems
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: sim085 on July 23, 2009, 11:02:12 AM
Quote from: Fransexy_;516630
What annoys me is just the opposite in other operating systems


... but a double click to front seems like a fair arrangement :)

btw - what I did to get ClickToFront work was move it from Tools/Commodities to WBStartup. Is this correct? Or I should do it otherwise?
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: Tempest on July 23, 2009, 11:06:33 AM
Quote from: Fransexy_;516630
What annoys me is just the opposite in other operating systems


With me it's just the opposite, the first thing I install on a clean WB is a window to front util (MultiCX in my case) :)

There are several window managers on Linux which have the same behaviour (or can be configured to behave the same), you can use the active window without bringing it to the front. For example Amiwm which even has a dragable desktop and looks/behaves like WB 3.1 or Windowmaker which also has iconified apps on the desktop (this can also be done with Xfce4).
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: AeroMan on July 23, 2009, 05:35:16 PM
Quote from: sim085;516632
... but a double click to front seems like a fair arrangement :)

btw - what I did to get ClickToFront work was move it from Tools/Commodities to WBStartup. Is this correct? Or I should do it otherwise?
Double click is the best way to me.
I´m having a hard time in Windows developing stuff with Codewarrior, because if I run the degugger it will bring its window to front and I have to check a terminal window at the same time. This is anoying...
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: zmurf on July 25, 2009, 07:26:57 PM
Quote from: AeroMan;516657
Double click is the best way to me.
I´m having a hard time in Windows developing stuff with Codewarrior, because if I run the degugger it will bring its window to front and I have to check a terminal window at the same time. This is anoying...

I have the same problem with Windows.

Do anyone know if there is any application to Windows which makes it behave has Workbench so when you click a window it only gets focus but dosent pop to front?
Title: Re: Workbench 3.1 - How can I make window get active when I click on them?
Post by: AeroMan on July 28, 2009, 05:40:15 PM
Great Idea... I will try to find something...