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Finer-grained control over which apps show up
There are too many display metaphors for background applications on the Mac, so even if you implemented a simple "show only apps with open windows" checkbox, the taskbar would still be full of apps I don't care about.
Right now, I hide the apps that I usually don't care about, but then I can't find their windows through the task bar when I do care! I also saw you mention that the applications pane is getting too crowded, and I agree.
How about this:
Instead of multiple list boxes, have a single, two-column list box, the way the Spaces preference pane does. For each application we add to that list box, let us select what Fantasktik should do about it:
* Display normally (default)
* Hide app
* Hide taskbar
* Enable taskbar auto-hide (what's the difference, anyway?)
* Hide if no windows are open
* Hide if only window titled "foo" is open (e.g., for Adium, which always has the Contact List available)
This makes it easy to change how an app is displayed, without having to delete it from one list and add it to another.
Then, I'd add one more global checkbox: Smart hiding. When smart hiding is turned on, any application that's been opened or in front during the last n minutes (say, 5 minutes) will appear in the taskbar, whether or not the rules above say to hide it!
This solves the problem of "I rarely want to see Skype in the launchbar, but if I was fiddling with its preferences, I do!". And I think the UI would be straightforward.
Right now, I hide the apps that I usually don't care about, but then I can't find their windows through the task bar when I do care! I also saw you mention that the applications pane is getting too crowded, and I agree.
How about this:
Instead of multiple list boxes, have a single, two-column list box, the way the Spaces preference pane does. For each application we add to that list box, let us select what Fantasktik should do about it:
* Display normally (default)
* Hide app
* Hide taskbar
* Enable taskbar auto-hide (what's the difference, anyway?)
* Hide if no windows are open
* Hide if only window titled "foo" is open (e.g., for Adium, which always has the Contact List available)
This makes it easy to change how an app is displayed, without having to delete it from one list and add it to another.
Then, I'd add one more global checkbox: Smart hiding. When smart hiding is turned on, any application that's been opened or in front during the last n minutes (say, 5 minutes) will appear in the taskbar, whether or not the rules above say to hide it!
This solves the problem of "I rarely want to see Skype in the launchbar, but if I was fiddling with its preferences, I do!". And I think the UI would be straightforward.
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Inappropriate?I like the idea of a single list box.
However I'm not sure about the Smart hiding thing. Adding this kind of rules never really works as expected. I'd rather add a hotkey to add/hide the front application in Fantasktik.
PS: hide completely hides Fantasktik whereas auto-hide shows/partially hides Fantasktik when you hover on the bar.
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