Windows 3.x interface

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Peter_123
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Windows 3.x interface

Post by Peter_123 »

I think MS Windows 3.x interface is much better than Windows 9x/2000/XP one. Could you please add an option to boot ReactOS with a 3.x look and feel.
Malba Tahan
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I agree

Post by Malba Tahan »

I agree with you, Peter. I feel much more comfortable with Win3.x interface. I miss the arrow-like minimize and maximize buttons. CTL3D-less windows were cool. If there were a 32 bit program manager I would use it too. No boring start button at all...
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MadRat
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Post by MadRat »

Almost all of your legacy apps were compatible with later versions.

The file manager everybody liked from NT was fully useable in XP if you knew what two files to copy over. Perhaps your program manager is likewise compatible and this is a moot issue?
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oiaohm
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Hmm I think this is a look and feel thing

Post by oiaohm »

Lets see if I have this right.

You want the title bar including Min and Max Close and the out side of windows to look like windows 3.11.

I guess theming or changing the interface any more is not what you are looking for.

This should be able to be done.

These are draw by a partical dll someone the name I cannnot think of it at moment and I would have to dig threw the code. So a alter version with a 3.11 them would fix the problem. Small but simple project I would guess.

MadRat Program manager can be loaded but looks completely different even works completely differnetly due to gui changes.. Big icon is minmize under mdi window in Program manager should have a Big Icon with text under. Not a normal min Mdi small icon title and close buttons.

And I guess they would want a new version of the program manager. And I do mean new because I would think they would want taskbar to stay and systray. The desktop and start button was not allways helpfull.

Could you be a little more targeted on what you would like turned back because you might get it as part of theming. Or have people tell you what files you would have to change to turn it back.
counting_pine
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Post by counting_pine »

Hmm, the Program Manager looks a lot like just a specific set of Explorer windows, wrapped up in an MDI interface, but without any of the useful explorer features, like right-clicking. I wonder how hard it would be to get ReactOS Explorer to reproduce that sort of thing.
Peter_123
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Post by Peter_123 »

Could you be a little more targeted on what you would like turned back because you might get it as part of theming. Or have people tell you what files you would have to change to turn it back.
Well, I was thinking of making additional ReactOS boot option for Windows 3.x fans (like me :-) ) to start Reactos, but with a Program Manager instead of bar with a START button. Of course windows would need to look like those in Windows 3.x (The minimize and maximize buttons / the minus in the left corner, etc...) and be able to be minimized to icons. The rest of the ReactOS could be the same as with the normal boot (A theme could be used to make buttons, textboxes and other parts of windows more windows 3.x like...)

Thank you for your answears.
RomanH
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Location: Switzerland

Post by RomanH »

I know it's not quite what your looking for but since a Win3.1-GUI is probably not of top most priority you might want to try to get Windowblinds to run on ReactOS. (haven't tried it yet and I doubt it will work...)

nevertheless, that's how it could look...
http://www.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx? ... dows%203.1
RomanH
Dr. Fred
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Post by Dr. Fred »

Peter_123 wrote:Well, I was thinking of making additional ReactOS boot option for Windows 3.x fans (like me :-) ) to start Reactos, but with a Program Manager instead of bar with a START button.
For this you would have to write a new shell (or change ours). Explorer is our shell but can can replace it using a regestry entry, as under windows.
Where do you want ReactOS to go today ?
oiaohm
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I will explain what program manager really is.

Post by oiaohm »

Due to changes in mdi the progman(program manager) no longer worked like the windows 3.11 system in windows 95 on.

Minize Groups in program manger should appear with a Big icon with text under and also be placeable anywhere in the mdi window.

The clossest system to this the windows desktop.

Normal program manager required everything to be in groups.

More I have thought about this. It could be a nice hybrd. A program manager style in desktop.

Right click did work in the windows 3.11 move icon delete group.. Basicly the icon button plus some.

No Group could be inside another Group.
No program entry could be without a Group.

Its verry neat and verry strict.

New version features the means of creating new entrys in program manager by drag and drop and inserting from menu.

Yes the mix could be built in explorerer. This would a a change to the way the desktop works. But it would cure the safe mode scramble or the windows on top from the desktop(placing common icons in folders).

Mdi windows stay at the same level as there parent. So Mdi windows in the desktop would stay at desktop level and not pop over the top of a application.

I would say extra feature to the desktop. Special folders That when opened disable from the desktop(Other feature of program manager no opening twice)And open in a mdi windows owning to the desktop. Also due to being mdi they will not crowd the task bar. Minize the mdi window=close and reallow opening.

Lets try to take the best from all versions of windows. Each had there own special features that Microsoft threw away to make the next one different.

Mircosoft was not always for the best at replacing features I don't think they have a look at history methord and take what works in their system on to the next.

And I guess I am showing my age. I used Win3.11 and still find the windows desktop annoying and have not be just able to put my finger on why. I think I just did.
Harteex
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Post by Harteex »

I'm just guessing, but maybe some version of progman could be used as a shell..
Floyd
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Post by Floyd »

i liked the old program manager.

i am so used to the system tray and start menu that i think it would be hard to incorporate the two designs.

(though i loved them minimizing to an actual icon, and not a icon/titlebar).
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oiaohm
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I think I know the merge.

Post by oiaohm »

Provide feature to create folders windows that stay at the desktop level and don't enter the task bar.

A special program manager program would have to be writen other wise its lacks the verry usable features it had.

Basicly program manager shiped with win95+ is the same program but not useable like the 3.11 version due to library changes.
Floyd
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Post by Floyd »

Floyd wrote:i liked the old program manager.

i am so used to the system tray and start menu that i think it would be hard to incorporate the two designs.

(though i loved them minimizing to an actual icon, and not a icon/titlebar).
or something new yet familiar

i like explorer's desktop icons, start menu, quick launch and system tray.
maybe you could have a mini-bar that had just start, quicklaunch and system tray, but when you minimize it would minimize to a tab, the tab would have a large-ish icon with the programs text, when multiple windows of the same program were minimized they would be grouped having a dock-ish effect.
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AlecTricity
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Post by AlecTricity »

Progman.exe and winfile.exe were incorporated in Win9x and later as 32 bit apps. You could easily have them run in ROS. There had been several 3rd party Windows 3.x shell replacements and SOME Win9x ones. You may find some of them working in ROS.
GreatLord
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Post by GreatLord »

Microsoft did ship windows 95 with Progman.exe and winfile.exe, But u need to found it at windows/system if I rember right.
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