Dexpot 1.3

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Dexpot 1.3

Postby Guest » 03.01.2005 04:49:40

Doesn't seem to be much support, answers, here, so I am not sure whether to post, but anyway...

Received an email about the release of Dexpot 1.3, downloaded it and installed it.

I chose English, but it seems to all be in German

The problem I have found in almost all virtual desktop tools (at least the ones "pretending" to be desktop tools, by hiding/showing applications) - if I say start Delphi on one desktop, and switch to another, it is problematic as to which desktop it will load onto. At least it all seems to load on one desktop, I have seen cases where you end up with bits and pieces over lots of desktops.

However, if I start a build and run in Delphi, then switch to another desktop to do something else, my applications then starts on this desktop rather than the one with Delphi on, making it almost impossible to debug, etc..

There does not seem to an Explorer run on each desktop, I have no taskbar, etc except on my main original desktop

Why do developers persist in trying to "pretend" to write a virtual desktop tool, when Windows supports "real" desktop switching? There must be some good reason as almost all (I have tried over 30) virtual desktop tools use this method.

Or am I missing something big here?

As far as I can see, the program is all but useless to me, a pity...back to "Desktop Switcher"

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Sebastian
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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Sebastian » 03.01.2005 12:39:11

Nhi. :dex:

Wish you a Happy New Year!

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't seem to be much support, answers, here, so I am not sure whether to post, but anyway...

Scriptkiddie deleted many posts, sorry for that.

I chose English, but it seems to all be in German.

Thanks for that bug report. We fixed it. Try the new installer available at http://dexpot.de/download/dexpot13.exe

However, if I start a build and run in Delphi, then switch to another desktop to do something else, my applications then starts on this desktop rather than the one with Delphi on, making it almost impossible to debug, etc..

Have you already tried "Desktop Rules" or "Detect Popup Windows"?

There does not seem to an Explorer run on each desktop, I have no taskbar, etc except on my main original desktop

Maybe this is because of high CPU usage?

Why do developers persist in trying to "pretend" to write a virtual desktop tool, when Windows supports "real" desktop switching?

Why? Because Windows does not support any "real" desktop switching. Therefore we had to find another way. The result was "hiding/showing applications" (just quoting you). :D
Best regards (wave)
Sebastian Brands, Dexpot GbR

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Patrick
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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Patrick » 03.01.2005 13:07:36

Nmorgen. :dex:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't seem to be much support, answers, here, so I am not sure whether to post, but anyway...

This forum had been much more active. Until our server was attacked and the posts of one year were deleted... :roll:

Received an email about the release of Dexpot 1.3, downloaded it and installed it.

I chose English, but it seems to all be in German

Ah, sorry. That's a bug. We have uploaded a new version that automatically selects a language file according to the language chosen during setup. In the 'Einstellungen' you can manually set a language in the 'International/Sprache' dropdown list.

However, if I start a build and run in Delphi, then switch to another desktop to do something else, my applications then starts on this desktop rather than the one with Delphi on, making it almost impossible to debug, etc..

That is a common problem of virtual desktop managers (btw, they don't pretend to be desktop managers, they explicitly call themselves 'virtual' :)). The best thing is to wait for all windows to be created before switching desktops or to move them back to their desktop afterwads. Dexpot also has a feature to detect popup windows (Settings -> Extras), but this will only work if the application windows are owned by the Delphi IDE.

Why do developers persist in trying to "pretend" to write a virtual desktop tool, when Windows supports "real" desktop switching? There must be some good reason as almost all (I have tried over 30) virtual desktop tools use this method.

There are good reasons. Using the Desktop API of NT-systems, many features that we consider essential for a desktop manager are simply not possible. You can't move a window from one desktop to another for instance. And now the killer argument*: Do you know the VDM from the Powertoys for Windows XP? Even Microsoft uses the 'hide/show window' approach... :wink:


*) das Todschlagargument

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Patrick
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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Patrick » 03.01.2005 13:18:21

Sebastian wrote:Because Windows does not support any "real" desktop switching.

Heh, it does. Guess what happens when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del on XP. Windows switches to a new desktop. :P

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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Sebastian » 03.01.2005 13:23:38

Patrick wrote:Heh, it does. Guess what happens when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del on XP. Windows switches to a new desktop. :P

:santa: [Hier bitte den Sound vorstellen (angelehnt an: "Hier bitte die Unterschriften vorstellen)] :D
Best regards (wave)
Sebastian Brands, Dexpot GbR

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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Alycat » 03.01.2005 22:45:53

Scriptkiddie deleted many posts, sorry for that.
sorry, I was not aware of that
Thanks for that bug report. We fixed it. Try the new installer available at http://dexpot.de/download/dexpot13.exe
ok
Because Windows does not support any "real" desktop switching. Therefore we had to find another way. The result was "hiding/showing applications" (just quoting you). :D
What is CreateDesktop? And OpenDesktop? and SwitchDesktop?

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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Alycat » 03.01.2005 23:23:56

Patrick wrote:There are good reasons. Using the Desktop API of NT-systems, many features that we consider essential for a desktop manager are simply not possible. You can't move a window from one desktop to another for instance.
True
And now the killer argument*: Do you know the VDM from the Powertoys for Windows XP? Even Microsoft uses the 'hide/show window' approach... :wink:
Yes, I have tried it, and yes I agree that it uses the hide/show approach, but I disagree that it is a killer argument, Powertoys are not mainstream MS development.

There are actually a few desktop managers that use "real" desktops, you gain some features ("distinct" desktops) but you lose some features (moving app's between desktops).

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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Alycat » 03.01.2005 23:32:06

Patrick wrote:Heh, it does. Guess what happens when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del on XP. Windows switches to a new desktop. :P
I think XP has several "built in" desktops running at any one time, from memory there is the default user interface, one for logging in and one for closing down.

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Re: Dexpot 1.3

Postby Alycat » 04.01.2005 10:49:38

Patrick wrote:You can't move a window from one desktop to another for instance
You can actually, I have found, but there are some critical restrictions on it - but if you could it would seem to offer the promise of the best of both worlds :D

As was mentioned in a discussion about Desktop Managers the other day - the big advantage of "real" desktop managers is that each desktop is separate, the disadvantage is that each desktop is separate :lol: :lol:

Both ways at this stage seem to be a compromise :cry:


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