priority database

[Andy Willis]

I don't know how feasible the idea is but as there are currently filters for excluding what application to show I would like to have a database of applications that keeps track of priority/delta and sets them when they are launched. Even if is is possible, I have no idea how one would go about implementing it.

[Gregg Young]

This is feasible. Add into the set priority code the ability to save the priority to an ini key using the first x characters of the program title. Then when a new program opens we check to see if an ini key matches and if it does we use the value it contains to set the priority.
This raises several issues:

1. We shouldn't clutter up OS2.ini with stuff like this so the standalone will need its own ini (the widget already has its own)
2. Unless we use the full title we run the risk of 2 different programs or instances of programs matching the same and thereby setting the priority on something where it was not intended
3. How do we handle when the user changes the priority of one of the programs in the database do we change to the new priority, ignore it or ask the user?
4. When the user changes the priority. Do we ask if they want to save the change? Do we do this every time?
5. When they open a program do we want to ask them if they want us to change the priority to what is in the database
6. Do we somehow change the appearance of the program window to indicate they aren't running at normal priority?
7. Of course at some point responding to all these requests for user input is more cumbersome than just setting the priority manually

[Andy Willis]

How about a settings screen similar to the exclude where they would be added the same as you do the excluded apps and those in it will remember the last priority given to it? Any changes made to other apps are transitory and we don't ask the user about changes made to those in the list. I suppose it may be possible to set the priority in the setting dialog and have all other changes transitory.

[Andy Willis]

I do agree lswitcher should have it's own ini... is there any way to have the widget and standalone to share the same ini file so that changes in either are not lost if the other is used? We'd have to have a common location where the ini file is kept then.

[Gregg Young]

Replying to abwillis:

How about a settings screen similar to the exclude where they would be added the same as you do the excluded apps and those in it will remember the last priority given to it? Any changes made to other apps are transitory and we don't ask the user about changes made to those in the list. I suppose it may be possible to set the priority in the setting dialog and have all other changes transitory.

This could be done or we could use a dialog like xpager uses for sticky windows

[Gregg Young]

Replying to abwillis:

I do agree lswitcher should have it's own ini... is there any way to have the widget and standalone to share the same ini file so that changes in either are not lost if the other is used? We'd have to have a common location where the ini file is kept then.

Having its own ini is easy to do. Why don't you add a ticket for it so we don't forget. I probably would avoid having them shared. I use different settings for each but I am more concern about unintended consequences from having some things set to true for the standalone that really don't apply to the widget but might create hard to find bustage. If you want to try it set the standalone ini on the command line to the full path to the widget's ini.

[Andy Willis]

Ticket #26 opened for standalone ini file.

[Gregg Young]

I think the best way to do this is to add an add to database checkbox in the priority dialog. If check it would open a dialog that would be like xpager's sticky. You could then choose to use the full title or a piece of it for determining if the window priority should be changed. I think this is better because it allow setting multiple different window at once (ie mybackup.exe path/one, mybackup.exe path/two ...) in one operation by choosing starts with mybackup.

[Lewis Rosenthal]

Milestone renamed

[Gregg Young]

Ticket retargeted after milestone closed