Feature idea: Cosmic-applet-group

[ryanabx]

I've been thinking about this idea for a few weeks now, but I'd like to gauge interest from a group applet, that essentially creates a pseudo panel that reveals itself on-click. This would allow for example combining all the small applet buttons into one (e.g. tiling, audio, network, battery, notifications, bluetooth, power) or any combination of those into one. (For example, combining network and bluetooth, or battery and power, etc.)

This type of applet would be similar to the panel-button applet in that the desktop file will decide configuration i.e. what apps get put in this 'subpanel'.

I don't have any design mock-ups but I can whip out an implementation some time when I'm not so busy :)

[git-f0x]

Do you mean like a mini popup panel that holds all the grouped applets, that can then be individually clicked? Though this sounds like something that would just introduce extra clicks, for some space savings on the main panel (a mini popup panel would probably be better used for overflow behavior).

Or something more like when clicking the group applet, the applets inside are merged somehow and are opened all at once (similar to GNOME)? E.g. cosmic-applet-time and cosmic-applet-notifications could be merged to get a similar layout to GNOME.

The latter option would help with touchscreen use (because of a bigger touch target), if its limited to maybe 4 applets. Though the applets were deliberately separated in COSMIC, so not sure if something like this is desired (and probably not something for the MVP).

Or did you mean something else? :)

[ryanabx]

Do you mean like a mini popup panel that holds all the grouped applets, that can then be individually clicked? Though this sounds like something that would just introduce extra clicks, for some space savings on the main panel (a mini popup panel would probably be better used for overflow behavior).

Yeah! I was attempting to find the most generic way to group applets, without introducing complexity in the applet implementations.

It would introduce another click, but the goal is space savings, like you mentioned. I know that UX team will sometime in the next month probably have designs for overflow behavior, but these groups aren't necessarily for use specifically when there's no room. I guess it could be used for that though!

Or something more like when clicking the group applet, the applets inside are merged somehow and are opened all at once (similar to GNOME)? E.g. cosmic-applet-time and cosmic-applet-notifications could be merged to get a similar layout to GNOME.

I also thought about that, but not every applet has a pop up, and not every applet can merge its popup reasonably with another. It's worth considering though. An alternative approach would be letting applets decide if they are groupable in this way, but the popup idea is of course easier to implement.

The latter option would help with touchscreen use (because of a bigger touch target), if its limited to maybe 4 applets. Though the applets were deliberately separated in COSMIC, so not sure if something like this is desired (and probably not something for the MVP).

I think the former could too, since the popup would of course scale with display scaling, and with the latter idea you risk running out of vertical space for the mega-popup

Or did you mean something else? :)

You got it right I believe! :)

[git-f0x]

with the latter idea you risk running out of vertical space for the mega-popup

The mega-popup could be a grid... 🙃

Tiling applet -> Applet tiling 🫠.

Not exactly sure how useful a group applet like that would be. Yes it saves some space, but it would be hard to indicate what is inside it without opening it, while saving space (plus the extra click). Though it is probably much easier to implement than merging.

Though maybe an applet like that can be integrated into the overflow behavior, where applets can be put inside it manually, and when there's no space, automatically put stuff inside it (maybe separate auto and manual with a divider). Kind of similar to Windows (though it's exclusive to app indicators there).

[TheESN]

So you suggest something like what KDE does?

[git-f0x]

Now that I've seen your screenshot in the applet icon size PR @ryanabx, I agree that something like this would be useful (ignore my previous comments 😅).
I think it would be most elegant to integrate it into the overflow behavior (as mentioned above), where applets can be dragged there to put them in the popup, and overflow is automatically put inside, separated by a divider (though it doesn't necessarily have to handle overflow, if it's handled better elsewhere).
The popup can be similar to the KDE one pictured just above (i.e. 2D), but smaller (dynamically resized).
Would probably be indicated by an arrow pointed away from the anchor side (similar to the one next to the Close button in ContextDrawer), that would open the popup when clicked (and when maybe hovered for a short time).

[WatchMkr]

I think the objective being described is to use less space on the panel while still including access to commonly-used settings in a pop-up. The best way to achieve that would be a Quick Settings panel like ChromeOS (Quick Settings applet in COSMIC parlance). It would likely replace power, time, battery, bluetooth, wifi, and audio applets with a smaller set of the features from each.

[git-f0x]

I thought that COSMIC didn't want to have a quick settings applet like that, but I'm personally a fan of such a solution for this.

[ryanabx]

I think the objective being described is to use less space on the panel while still including access to commonly-used settings in a pop-up. The best way to achieve that would be a Quick Settings panel like ChromeOS (Quick Settings applet in COSMIC parlance). It would likely replace power, time, battery, bluetooth, wifi, and audio applets with a smaller set of the features from each.

Yes, that would accomplish my goal! I think I fell for an X Y problem to be honest, quick settings is really what I'd like to have, but making it "extensible" for third party applets was a nice-to-have, but honestly not super necessary if we see lots of space savings.

[TheESN]

Also would be neat to keep this applets optionally separate to those who doesn't like quick settings like in ChromeOS and current GNOME

[git-f0x]

I would imagine that this would be a different applet, since separating applets (for more features) was one of the goals of COSMIC.