Dialog boxes should not overlap Task Bar [#5522]

[ZvezdanD]

It seems to me that MM developers don't visit Wishlist thread and I think that my message which I posted there should be here anyway, so here it is again.

Modeless dialog boxes like the Track Properties dialog box which we get from the View menu (Ctrl+Alt+P), as well as dialog boxes from scripts which have StayOnTop property = True, should not be above Windows Task Bar. It also should snap to the task bar edge as other MM dialog boxes and main MM window, not to the screen edge.

Here is a post which I recently got about my script by Mizery_Made who didn't read my post:

Just remembered something that has bothered me about the original Stats script for a while now. The window has the option to Maximize, however if you do, it covers the entire screen. That includes the task bar, which isn't usual behavior for Windows. Any way to get it to only cover the "Application Area" (a.k.a., the entire screen, except where the Taskbar is) when Maximized? Maybe this is an MM bug, since I semi-recall Bex's SQLViewer doing the same.

If your Track Properties dialog have such weird behavior - fine, but I don't like if someone blame my scripts because of MM bugs.

[Peke]

Forms, Dialogs, Message Boxes, and others position are managed by System not by MM.

[ZvezdanD]

??? Do you understand what Mizery_Made and I talking about? With MM if I maximize or move modal dialog box it not overlaps task bar, but if I maximize or move modeless dialog box it overlaps task bar. Please, specify at least one Windows application which have such behavior.

If you want examples of modeless dialog box, please take a look at Preferences dialog box of WinAmp, foobar 2000 or uTorrent, Preferences and other dialog boxes of the KMP Player, Options and other dialog boxes of MV2 Player, Preferences and Bookmarks dialog boxes of VLC (those have also the maximize button), Bookmark This Page and Customize Toolbar in Firefox (the later have the maximize button), System Information of Process Explorer (with the maximize button), some dialog boxes of Process Monitor and all those tool panels in Adobe and similar programs - their modeless dialog boxes are not overlaping task bar. Those are all Windows applications, you know.

[Peke]

Difference with Modal and Non-Modal window is that Modal Window always have Parent set to form that created dialog and Non-Modal Dialog Parent is Desktop.
Normally Modal dialog inherit limitations from parent window which is returned by calling windows API function, same thing goes for Non-Modal window.

Note that Desktop sizes and lengths do not include/exclude taskbar and when you call Do Maximize on On Top Non-Modal dialog Windows maximizes it to screen width/height over task bar which is Modal to Desktop and that is why it is over the task bar. If you want I can send you small demo app on mail that will show stats about modal/non-modal maximize behavior even on main form/window.

[ZvezdanD]

Sorry, but what are you talking about? I gave you a numerous examples of very popular Windows applications which have modeless dialog boxes which don't overlap task bar and you still argue that only MM has correct approach. Are you joking or what?

[Mizery_Made]

I cannot name one Windows Program aside from MediaMonkey that behaves like this, unless it's like a Media program that offers a "Fullscreen" option.

[Peke]

I'm not arguing at all, just giving tech description of current MM behavior.

Can someone of you two make small Script example?

[fourteen]

Windows maximizes it to screen width/height over task bar which is Modal to Desktop and that is why it is over the task bar

Well, the application developer gets a chance to determine and decide what is an appropriate maximum size, see WM_GETMINMAXINFO.
The problem with MM's modeless dialog boxes being on top of the taskbar sounds like it has something to do with z-order manipulation of the window(s).

[ZvezdanD]

Can someone of you two make small Script example?

Oh well. Do you read my posts at all? I told you already, your Track Properties dialog box from the View menu is modeless and it ovelaps task bar (instead of the similar Track Properties from the Edit menu which is modal window). Mizery_Made gave two examples of the script with the modeless window - your native Stats.vbs and Bex's SQL Viewer.

As fourteen state, there is a numerous ways how to get effective desktop area, for example SystemParametersInfo with SPI_GETWORKAREA parameter (keep in mind, the task bar is not the only one Windows tool bar which you could get, I have one additional tool bar on the left side of the screen). But determining of the desktop area is not the only problem in your case, it is only relevant for Maximize problem, but not if I move modeless dialog box around the screen. You MM guys generally have a problem with the z-order and foreground state of your windows, as I pointed in previous several threads:
- Panels should be always on top [#5271]
- Active program & skinned MM3 BUG#5271
- mmip files and double click -> foreground

Those problems are all related with the window foreground/active state.

[rusty]

Tracked at:
http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=5522

[ZvezdanD]

1247 - still not resolved.

[chrisjj]

> Track Properties dialog box from the View menu is modeless and it ovelaps task bar

FWIW, reproduced here (1244 and Windows XP SP2 "[X] Keep the taskbar on top of other windows" e.g.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7739/25482433.gif

And I too consider it undesirable behaviour.