Re: Question about minibuffer and child frames (Posframe)

[martin rudalics]

> I've seen that as a possible value of the minibuffer frame parameter in
> the Elisp manual, but couldn't figure out how that would be used.
> Probably I'm missing something. Is the child frame then automatically
> shown/hidden? Why would someone want to do that, especially on a tty?

Users have often asked how to show the minibuffer only when it is really
used in order to save screen estate.  Minibuffer-only top-level frames
are one way to do that but they don't work on ttys.  Child frames could
be used, if implemented accordingly.

> Oh, and then there are minibuffer-only frames, which I'd bet are not
> implemented for ttys.

Right.

>> - Child frames should be allowed to have their minibuffer on another
>>    child frame with the same parent or on any of their ancestors.
>
> And prevent cycles and so on...

The child frame code hopefully does that already.

> I'll have to see how involved that all gets. I'll probably start with
> allowing a root frame's mini-window for a child frame, because that's my
> immediate use case, and then see how that goes.

Agreed.  But you would have to document it.

> Yeah, frame deletion in general is another open point on my todo list.
> I've also seen frame parameters delete-before/after which I don't know
> if I need them.

They are obeyed by 'delete-frame' already.  You don't have to bother.

> And z-group or what the name was.

You need the z-order when you have two overlapping child frames.  One of
the things the window manager handles on GUIs.

> Well, another approach might be to let users/developers complain when
> they are trying to use or write something that requires these advanced
> capabilites, and add that then. That prevents investing time in
> something no one uses.

Fully agreed.

martin