Version: unknown (using 4.2.1 (KDE 4.2.1) "release 108", KDE:KDE4:Factory:Desktop / openSUSE_11.0) Compiler: gcc OS: Linux (i686) release 2.6.25.20-0.1-pae Specifying an accurate width of a panel by mouse is somewhat difficult. 2 possible ways of improving this 1. Show the width in pixels both as it is and while being changed. 2. Allow direct entry of the width in pixels (cm, mm, in or WHY). ps - a reset (to original width) would also be handy :)
why do you care about the exact number of pixels in your panel? :) the "original width" of a panel is 100%, which is easy to set, so I don't understand why you would want an extra button for that. there won't be a dialog for entering the size of the panel in pixels. you might be able to make a case for displaying the size as it's being changed, though. also, someday there should be a dbus interface that'll let you control things precisely... when that happens depends on whether we get a good soc application for it this summer.
oh. you were talking about width of a vertical panel (or height of a horizonal panel) weren't you? I understand why you want a reset button now :)
Ok - part of the reason I'm finding it a pain setting the width of a panel exactly is that I keep having to do it. I use a secondary panel on the right of the screen which I use as a 'quick launch' for frequently used apps (I prefer to use a panel rather than the Quicklaunch plasma applet as it obeys Fitt's law). Frequently when I re-login, this panel (though not the main one at the bottom of the screen) loses some of its settings such as the order of the icons and width so I have to keep re-setting them by hand. I have reported this as a bug, got an upgrade, tested the upgrade, reported the bug as fixed, got another upgrade, found the bug again ... I will report it again and leave it there over a couple of upgrades but I thought I'd wait until 4.2.1 (which I now have and will check)
Created attachment 47728 [details] Mockup This shows a mockup of how the value could be specified exactly (in pixels in this case).
The only comment I have on the mockup is a lack of units. Ok, I realise we're talking pixels here but it needn't be ... I don't know if it's possible to do it but a percentage of screen height/width might be useful (with a minimum pixels?) where you have roaming profiles. I log in on a desktop with a 1680x1050 screen and an old laptop at 1024x768 - in these cases I may well want a different width (in pixels) or only a percentage of the screen taken up by the panel. I know this is starting to get complicated with roaming profiles across a range of monitor resolutions - I'm just making suggestions.
As of KDE 4.10 RC2: Upon changing the width of a vertical bar (height if horizontal bar), you can see now the width in pixels...
I think that's an openSUSE addition.
Definitely it's not upstream default KDE behaviour. KDE 4.10 still doesn't solve this.
Can we please extend this to width *and* height of vertical/horinzontal bars. For example: I have to vertical panels here (one on the left, one on the right side). They both should have the same width, but also height (which isn't 100% of screen height, but 95%). Currently there is no way for me to configure or to control this... :-(
Why has a really old bug been moved here? It's been rediscussed already, see relevant duplicate somewhere in plasmashell.