Double-click titlebar to toggle size?

Do people think it would be a good idea for a double-click on the title bar of a window to have the same effect as clicking on the toggle-size icon? This is a feature in Windows which I use quite a bit. I’ve got a (rather hacky) bodge working here that simulates the same thing, and it works 90% of the time, but occasionally has a glitch. Would it be a good thing to build into the OS?

would be a good idea for a double-click on the title bar of a window to have the same effect as clicking on the toggle-size icon?

Why not? Existing users shouldn’t notice a difference, and new users could find it familiar. But are there any existing OS additions which use this double-click for a different purpose. I presume you wrote this because you think it’s useful to incorporate functionality common to other GUIs. If so, I agree.

it works 90% of the time […] a good thing to build into the OS?

If you have support for this, then I suppose it could depend on how much work is involved ironing things out. Or are there related features which would ideally be best implemented around the same time?

But are there any existing OS additions which use this double-click for a different purpose. I presume you wrote this because you think it’s useful to incorporate functionality common to other GUIs. If so, I agree.

I’m not aware of anything that uses this functionality. I would suggest that a left double-click would toggle the window at the top of the stack, and a right double-click would keep the window in the same position in the stack.

If you have support for this, then I suppose it could depend on how much work is involved ironing things out. Or are there related features which would ideally be best implemented around the same time?

Ah, my ‘support’ for this is in the way of a ‘bolt-on’ hack rather than at OS level. It would be much better implemented properly!

Do people think it would be a good idea for a double-click on the title bar of a window to have the same effect as clicking on the toggle-size icon? This is a feature in Windows which I use quite a bit.

Hmm, I wish I could be supportive… I never use the feature in Windows, but occasionally it happens anyway, either because I’ve single-clicked twice with too short a delay, or because the mouse switch has bounced. Either way, I find it very irritating.

So, if it’s going in, I’d like to see it configurable.

Hmm, I wish I could be supportive… I never use the feature in Windows, but occasionally it happens anyway, either because I’ve single-clicked twice with too short a delay, or because the mouse switch has bounced. Either way, I find it very irritating.

It shouldn’t happen any more than any other spurious double-click event.

So, if it’s going in, I’d like to see it configurable.

Yes, that makes sense.

There was a program – I’m pretty sure it was called !Shade (as in a roller-blind idea) – that shrunk any window to just its title bar when you double-clicked on the title bar. I personally would find that more useful than replicating the behaviour of the toggle-size icon. I would suggest adding that functionality into any OS-level enhancements being made, but I think it was a bit of a hack, so probably best not. Anyway, just thought I’d mention it!

I’d argue for a more general solution. This is precisely the sort of functionality that should not be built in. RISC OS is not supposed to be hard-wired!

I wrote a little utility that opens a contextual menu for menu clicks on any part of the window furniture – which allows windows to be brought to the front when only a tiny bit is visible, and reorganised in various ways.

Anyway, my point is that there are multiple functionalities one might like, but it’s slightly tricky to achieve them because clicks on the window furniture are not directly detectable by programs – they have to be faked somewhat.

There is an argument therefore for a Filter hook for furniture interaction… but if you’re going to do that you’d probably want complete delegation to allow highly customised furniture.