BBPager 1.25
description
BBPager is a VWM (Virtual Window Manager) plugin for Blackbox for Windows. It allows you to see window positions on other workspaces, change workspaces using the pager, focus windows on any workspace, and move windows from one workspace to another.

BBPager 1.25 requires Blackbox for Windows 0.0.90, bbLean 1.12 or Xoblite RC2 or later.

You may also need the MSVC7 runtime dlls available from here.

Insert random tagline here. =Q)

NC-17

revision history

BBPager 1.25 (2005-07-07) / NC-17

  • Fixed a multimonitor bug when treated as a single monitor (Thanks Blackbird!)
  • BBPager 1.2 (2005-07-03) / NC-17

  • Lots of multimonitor fixes
  • Slit and RC file handling tweaks
  • Disappearance, mouse button and styling bug fixes
  • Artificially delayed release date...
  • BBPager 1.0 (2003-03-13) / NC-17

  • Changed the way windows are filtered to display more windows, e.g. Delphi apps
  • Converted static arrays to vectors to help lower memory footprint
  • Added support for moving windows!
  • BBPager can now accept keyboard input for menu shortcuts
  • Added docs!
  • BBPager 0.8.5 (2003-02-24) / NC-17

  • Original release
  • future releases?
  • [your wish goes here - send me your ideas! :D ]
  • Get currentOnly hidden tasks showing on workspaces
  • known issues
  • currentOnly setting in bbLean is not supported
  • certain multimonitor/workspace/maximized window issues
  • license information
    © 2005 Laurence Skegg [NC-17]

    BBPAGER IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

    initial setup

    To load BBPager you simply need to add the relative path of the plugin (from your Blackbox directory) to the Blackbox configuration file plugins.rc (located in the Blackbox directory). For example, if you installed Blackbox into c:\Blackbox, and BBPager.dll is located in c:\Blackbox\plugins\BBPager\, you should add the line...

    plugins\BBPager\BBPager.dll

    ...to plugins.rc. Simple, eh? :)

    Or simply use the load plugin menus provided in bbLean or Xoblite and browse to the location of the BBPager dll.

    You should also have a look at the bbpager.rc file before you load the plugin, in case there are any settings you would want to customise. These settings are shown below.

    how to use BBPager...

    Mouse Input

    Once the plugin is loaded, several things can be done with a simple click on the pager window:

    Left Click  by default this focuses windows inside desktops, outside lets you drag the pager
    Left Click + Ctrl  this lets you drag the pager around wherever you click it
    Middle Click  by default this picks up a window in the pager and lets you drag it around
    Right Click  outside desktops this accesses the plugin menu, inside this changes desktop by default
    Right Click + Ctrl  anywhere in the pager this accesses the plugin menu
    Mouse Scroll  when the pager is focused, this will change desktops

    The Menu

    The plugin menu let's you change or select various things, and most should be self-explanatory. However, there is one submenu worth mentioning - the "Settings" submenu.

    Since the last release this functionality has been changed. Making any change via the plugin menus now save the settings to the RC file. Also a blackbox reconfigure will reload the current saved settings, but the "Reload Settings" option allows you to do this without a reconfigure.

    The "Edit Style" entry opens the bbpager.bb file in your preferred editor. This file is for changing the way BBPager looks. Any setting specified in that file overrides any definition found in the current style file bb4win is using. You can also change the way windows and the active desktop are rendered with this file.

    Keyboard Input

    When BBPager is the focused window (i.e. after clicking on it), it can accept keyboard input. Below are keys you can press to access a few functions quickly. Note for the positioning you need to have numlock on.

    Numpad Keys 1-9, except 5  Set BBPager position (7 is TopLeft, 3 BottomRight, etc.)
    Numpad Subtract  Reload Settings
    Enter or Backspace  Toggle autohide
    Escape  This cancels window movement if a window has been grabbed in the pager

    Miscellaneous Notes

    Moving BBPager: When in autohide mode, dragging of the pager window is not possible - this is where the positioning menu comes in handy. You cannot drag the pager window off the virtual/viewable screen area manually either. To put the pager on a different monitor, ctrl+left click and drag the plugin into the prospective monitor's screen area - using the placement menu or placement keyboard shortcuts will now position the pager window in this monitor's screen area accordingly.

    Autohide: Enabling autohide when the pager window is not on a screen edge will cause the pager to snap to the nearest screen edge and enter the hidden state.

    Moving windows: When an active window is moved, the workspace is changed to the one it is moved to. When unfocused windows are moved the workspace does not follow the window. Maximised windows cannot be moved within the same workspace. When they are moved to another workspace they will stay in their maximised state. Maximised windows use the cursor position to decide which desktop it is dragged to, while unmaximised windows use upper left corner of the window to decide this.

    bbpager.rc settings

    I have included a default configuration file bbpager.rc in the .zip. If a configuration file for some reason (e.g. you deleted it <g>) can not be found at startup (BBPager will first search for it in the same directory as the plugin, then in the Blackbox directory), BBPager will automatically create one for you in the same directory as the plugin. Normally, you do not need to edit this file manually, however you may want the to change the button settings to your preference. You may also want to tweak the alpha transparency value (for 2k/xp only, see below) to your liking.

    bbpager.position.x: 0  X position of the pager
    bbpager.position.y: 895  Y position of the pager
    bbpager.desktop.width: 40  Width of virtual desktops in the pager
    bbpager.desktop.height: 30  Height of virtual desktops in the pager
    bbpager.alignment: vertical  Chooses whether rows or columns are used
    bbpager.columns: 2  Number of columns to constrain desktops to in vertical mode
    bbpager.rows: 2  Number of rows to constrain desktops to in horizontal mode
    bbpager.desktopChangeButton: 2  Mouse button to use for changing desktops
    bbpager.windowMoveButton: 3  Mouse button to use for moving windows
    bbpager.windowFocusButton: 1  Mouse button to use for focusing windows
    bbpager.raised: true  Always on top?
    bbpager.autoHide: false  Toggle autohide mode for the pager
    bbpager.snapWindow: true  Snap window to screen edge?
    bbpager.transparency: false  Toggle transparency
    bbpager.transparency.alpha: 200  Value of transparency (0-255). Larger is more opaque
    bbpager.desktopNumbers: true  Show numbers of desktops?
    bbpager.desktopWindows: true  Display windows?

    Mouse buttons: For setting mouse buttons to certain actions, 1 is the Left Mouse Button, 2 is the Right Mouse Button, and 3 is the Middle Mouse Button.

    bbpager bro@ms

    @BBShowPlugins  Standard BB bro@m to show all plugins
    @BBHidePlugins  Standard BB bro@m to hide all plugins
    @BBPagerReload  Make BBPager reload its settings

    @BBPagerPosition TopLeft  These set the position of the pager window to that specified,
    @BBPagerPosition TopCenter  within the current monitor's virtual screen area.
    @BBPagerPosition TopRight
    @BBPagerPosition CenterLeft
    @BBPagerPosition CenterRight
    @BBPagerPosition BottomLeft
    @BBPagerPosition BottomCenter
    @BBPagerPosition BottomRight

    @BBPagerInternal OpenRC  Open the bbpager.rc file with your preferred editor
    @BBPagerInternal OpenStyle  Open the bbpager.bb file with your preferred editor
    @BBPagerInternal Vertical  Change the alignment to vertical mode
    @BBPagerInternal Horizontal  Change the alignment to horizontal mode
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleSnap  Toggle snap window to edge
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleRaised  Toggle window always on top
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleHide  Toggle whether autohide is enabled or not
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleTrans  Toggle use of transparency (2k/xp only)
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleBorder  Toggle whether a border is drawn around the pager
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleNumbers  Toggle whether numbers are displayed on desktops
    @BBPagerInternal ToggleWindows  Toggle whether windows are shown on desktops
    @BBPagerInternal About  Display message box about the plugin

    acknowledgements
    Everyone who has tested BBPager and given helpful feedback whether it was critical or praising :) Qwilk of course for the lovely documentation layout and ever-helpful SDK!