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Bug 156380 - Permanent status area
Summary: Permanent status area
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: platform
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Window System (show other bugs)
Version: 6.x
Hardware: All All
: P4 blocker (vote)
Assignee: issues@platform
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2009-01-06 21:04 UTC by ivan
Modified: 2014-02-24 23:22 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
Issue Type: ENHANCEMENT
Exception Reporter:


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Description ivan 2009-01-06 21:04:07 UTC
We're using NB to build a standalone debugger (dbxtool). 
One feature we would like to have a is a permanent status area near the top
of the main window, under the toolbar. 

    The existing status area is not appropriate because it's contents are ephemeral
    and it is not under the users primary gaze.
     
The desired status area may contain state information like the current function or
thread the user is inspecting.
See http://www.totalviewtech.com/images/snapshot_totalview_lg.jpg

The status area may also contain controls for choosing a focus for debugger controls.
Advanced multi-threaded debuggers have a notion of sets of processes or
threads to which a bpt, resumption or step action should apply. Selection
of these sets is usually perfomed through controls near the top
of the view: http://www.allinea.com/?page=48

Such status and controls can be put into toolbars (like the existing memory usage and
quicksearch widgets) but I think a dedicated area would be preferable. Or perhaps
toolbars could be enhanced. The trouble with controls are as follows:
- cannot add labels and textareas (for status)
- cannot add arbitrary controls?
- cannot force a "sub-toolbar" to appear on the second row.
- don't want the grab-point
(Perhaps there are actually ways to do all the above?)

Making such an area be declaratively programmable (via layers) may be a challenge.
Perhaps a better model may be specialized TopComponents which to a first
approximation ...
- have ability get docked under the toolbar
- don't have a border, title or banner.
- span the width of the main window.

... and to a second approximation ...
- can be docked in a variety of places and have more flexible geometry.
Comment 1 ivan 2009-01-06 22:23:13 UTC
Here's a tutorial on how to add arbitrary panels to the toolbar:

http://platform.netbeans.org/tutorials/nbm-google.html
Comment 2 Jesse Glick 2009-01-06 23:42:30 UTC
You can indeed add arbitrary components to toolbars, and you can also declare the layout of toolbar rows in layers.
AFAIK you cannot currently remove the drag handle on a toolbar.
Comment 3 ivan 2009-01-06 23:51:04 UTC
OK, I'll experiment with this and see if there are other limitations which would
warrant an explicit status area.

BTW, is there a general layer file API documentation page?

Comment 4 Stanislav Aubrecht 2009-01-07 06:53:33 UTC
> AFAIK you cannot currently remove the drag handle on a toolbar.
it is now possible as the toolbars have been rewritten - see quicksearch toolbar as an example
Comment 5 phansson 2014-02-24 23:22:45 UTC
I would think this RFE can be merged with #242278 which essentially deals with the same issue.