Re: Shared application menu

[Banlu Kemiyatorn]

Dirk Olmes wrote:

> > Hi list,
> >
> > I would like to ask you, what do you think about shared menu among
> > applications?
> >    
>
> I don't see any apparent advantages right now.
>
>  
>
> > Instead of having menu in each application we will have a menu process/app
> > which will provide menu functionality.
> >
> > Requirements: follow apple docs by deprecating NSMenuItemCells and using
> > <NSMenuItem>protocol in NSMenu.
> >
> > Advantages: less window manager problems, easier for adding system-wide
> > extensions, reusability of application for providing NSStatusBar.
> >    
>
> What do you mean by "system-wide extensions"? I see that NSStatusBar would
> be easier to implement with a separate menu app/process. OTOH I can't
> imagine how to integrate something like NSStatusBar into an Openstep-like
> menu....
>
> -dirk
>
>  
My idea is using horizontal top screen for placing NSToolBar and 
NSStatusBar.
(NSToolBar on left and NSStatusBar on right seperated with a kind of 
seperator)
The top area should be used for something. NSToolBar and NSStatusBar suite
that place best because 1) they won't hurt the current look and feel too 
much. 2) most
of them are icons so they won't suffer from text menu's width. 3) I hate 
where
NSToolBar is located in OSX now. 4) the edge of screen should be used to
increase productivity in a way. And 5) I also think this idea can 
improve 'tool base
environment' that Stefan mentioned one day (no matter if he likes my 
idea or not :)

I agree with having shared menu app but still wonder how to implement
"right-click on app window to access menu" in the right way. because if
application has to render the menu, it then require menu render code
in AppKit and so the code cannot be deprecated.