Explorer Replacement

The place to bring up any design issues, or post your own creations

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What do you think about it?

Yes, it's good idea. Let's do it.
35
45%
If you want, do it.
21
27%
It's bad idea. There's too many shells.
16
21%
I don't know.
5
6%
 
Total votes: 77

mily
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:35 pm
Contact:

Explorer Replacement

Post by mily »

Yeah, I know, there's a lot of them and ReactOS will use explorer's clone as default, but what do you think about making new desktop and shell?

Some more informations about that, what I want to make:
* Separated desktop and task bar (two independent executive files)
* One file, to launch the environment.
* Not only desktop and task bar, but more software.
* All fully configurable
* All settings stored in registry
* Special software to configure all environment (not 1 thing, but all)
* All would be made in C/C++ and compiled using Mingw
* Splitted into 2 parts: LIBS and BASE
* Libraries would have some I/O Functions not implemented in OS, but needed to run software.
* Bin Package would constains all software and maybe scripts.

* About desktop:
- Shows icons as standard explorer's desktop
- Transparent background under icons text
- Right mouse key shows menu (like in explorer)
- Changable desktop background color
- You can use background image
- You can fade in or fade out background image
- You can blend desktop image
- Some blending schemas (like: Vertical, Horizontal, Flat, Contrast, ...)
- Changable blending balance
- You can display movie on desktop (animated desktop)
- maybe more?

* About task bar:
- Flat task bar
- Flat buttons (images as buttons - like in KDE)
- Have tray (with hiding inactive icons)
- Have clock (with optional date showing)
- Shows launched software
- Quick launch menu
- Changable icon size in quick launch (if task bar is bigger, then icons are bigger too).
- Square Start Menu button
- Start menu without drag and drop option
- Special software for customizing menu
- Few styles of menu (like classic menu start and start panel, but more)
- maybe more?
- Slider button for hiding task bar as option

* About customizing software:
- named Control Center
- you can configure all environment from it
- you can configure all system from it (it would have control panel applets clones)

* More software:
- something like Welcome in Windows or KTip in KDE (software with usual tips)
- help center
- new search (files) option
- control center
- some more?

If you have any other ideas please write.
And please don't forget to write yours opinion about this idea ;)

Yours faithfully
Rafal Kupiec
ScoTTie
Posts: 165
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:40 am

Post by ScoTTie »

This should go into the design forum and i think you'll find theres alot of peoples ideas in existing threads there.
kamulos
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2005 9:30 pm

Post by kamulos »

the registry is really bad... i would recommend to use it as little as possible... configuration files would be better imho
mily
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:35 pm
Contact:

Post by mily »

kamulos wrote:the registry is really bad... i would recommend to use it as little as possible... configuration files would be better imho
It's only suppose ;)
Everything could be changed...
chorns
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 12:47 am

Registry vs. configuration files

Post by chorns »

kamulos wrote:the registry is really bad... i would recommend to use it as little as possible... configuration files would be better imho
What is really bad about the registry and why is configuration files better?
mily
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:35 pm
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Post by mily »

Please vote ;)
TiKu
Posts: 157
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 9:09 pm
Location: Unterföhring, Germany
Contact:

Re: Explorer Replacement

Post by TiKu »

mily wrote:- Start menu without drag and drop option
Why? I love this feature.
chorns wrote:What is really bad about the registry and why is configuration files better?
Config files have a big advantage: They make it easy to "install" programs using copy'n'paste. And they make it easier to re-install Windows/ReactOS without losing program settings. Also with the registry it's not possible to use the same program settings in multiple Windows/ReactOS installations.
BTW, in the meantime even Microsoft suggests using config files. ;)
mily
Posts: 106
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:35 pm
Contact:

Post by mily »

@TiKu: This can be of course changed too ;).
As i said it's only a suppose.
Dr. Fred
Developer
Posts: 607
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:09 pm
Location: Amsterdam

Post by Dr. Fred »

Did you already have a look at lean explorer brunch ? Some of your sugestions are implemented there.
Where do you want ReactOS to go today ?
stefan
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:22 am
Contact:

Post by stefan »

is the lean-explorer.exe somewhere to download?
#reactos - nothin2g
Get your shit at http://www.wakka.de
frik85
Developer
Posts: 829
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 7:48 pm
Location: Austria, Europe
Contact:

Post by frik85 »

stefan wrote:is the lean-explorer.exe somewhere to download?
It is available from the SVN server.

SVN-WebView: http://svn.reactos.org/viewcvs/branches/lean-explorer/



btw. I moved the thread to the design sub-forum!
oiaohm
Posts: 1322
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2004 8:40 am

Post by oiaohm »

Ok Its Time to State What I have been looking at doing.

Planing is a key goal.

My plan did not invole spliting the explorer as much.

C code core. Most likely remove C++ from Explorer at least until Mingw C++ gets fixed.

Explorer be at least two parts.

Main Explorer and Explorer.dll.

Complete Override Dll linking. Functions in Explorer.dll can be overriden by the Theme.dll. This also a reason to be a C core all C++ have different managling.

List of functions that have to be in the dll. Have not completed list.

Since Explorer.exe is only a boot file the complete desktop can be rebuilt.

I guess their will be a Reactos Theme ie explorer.dll a Win3.11 theme A Win9x Theme and a Windows XP theme.

One registry entry that just alters the dll link.

When you think about all MS Windows shells they have common parts that can be shared even that they look different.
forart
Posts: 1050
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 1:36 pm
Location: Italy
Contact:

Post by forart »

Don't wanna be boring, but the simplest way is just adopting SharpE.
In this way you have an already functional and efficient shell, and is released under LGPL so you can add or modify anything you want.
They already have a developer team, so you can also ask them what you need.
From my point of view this could benefit both projects.

Anyway, it's just my opinion.
»Forward Agency NPO
In progress we (always) trust.
forart
Posts: 1050
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 1:36 pm
Location: Italy
Contact:

Post by forart »

Pictures speaks mutch than words (check the gallery):

[ external image ]
»Forward Agency NPO
In progress we (always) trust.
counting_pine
Posts: 237
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 10:44 pm
Location: Fallowfield

Post by counting_pine »

Wow, how much do the SharpE team pay you?
Post a screenshot of SharpE that's virtually indistinguishable from the classic Windows shell, and I might start taking an interest in your posts.
EDIT: Oh, and show us a C++ port as well. ReactOS can't incorporate a Delphi project.
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