Create icon in a given position

m.alessandrini · 2017-10-16 08:20:05

Hi, when creating an icon by right-clicking on the desktop, e.g. creating a directory or pasting a file, the icon is not created in the position you clicked, but in the left, in the first free space. So you then have to find it in the bulk of other icons and drag it where you want, which is annoying.
One naturally expects an icon would be created where you mean when you click, at least this is the "standard" behaviour one has grown up with.
Bye and thanks
Michele

ToZ · 2017-10-16 09:44:11

Hello and welcome.

Xfdesktop uses a grid system for icon placement (not free placement) so when a new icon is created, the next position in the grid is used. There are a number of bug and enhancment requests in the bug tracker if you want to add your voice to one of them requesting a change to a free placement model.

m.alessandrini · 2017-10-16 10:07:00

Thanks for your reply.
The fact is that you can drag icons where you want, even with constraints on the grid, so it's not really something Xfce is lacking.
I'll look at the bug tracker.
Bye
Michele

ToZ · 2017-10-16 16:27:26

m.alessandrini wrote:

The fact is that you can drag icons where you want, even with constraints on the grid, so it's not really something Xfce is lacking.

True. However, currently the code just grabs the next available spot in the grid for new icon creation events. An enhancement of some sort will be required.

m.alessandrini · 2017-10-17 06:45:12

Maybe it could be enough to add a call to the function that handles the drag&drop, like if the icon was moved in that point. I mean:
- create the icon in the default place, as usual
- move the icon to the clicked point. I guess there is a function for that, used when you physically release an icon with the mouse, that takes care of placing the icon properly in the grid, or falls back to leave the icon in the original place if you release it to a non-free space.
(BTW: do I have to do another registration for the bugs section?)

ToZ · 2017-10-17 10:14:40

Possibly. If you could submit a patch that would surely be helpful. Might move it forward quicker (keep in mind that the current work efforts are geared towards the GTK3 migration).

Unfortunately, you do need a new account for the bug tracker. There have been some recent discussions of moving the git/bug infrastructure to gitea. If so, it would consolidate the two functions.

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#1 2017-10-16 08:20:05

Create icon in a given position

#2 2017-10-16 09:44:11

Re: Create icon in a given position

#3 2017-10-16 10:07:00

Re: Create icon in a given position

#4 2017-10-16 16:27:26

Re: Create icon in a given position

#5 2017-10-17 06:45:12

Re: Create icon in a given position

#6 2017-10-17 10:14:40

Re: Create icon in a given position

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