I don't know so well where to go with my question so I choose this way in the hope not to be a nuisance to anyone. Can somebody explain (or point me to an explanation) where the difference lies between a "Dock" and a "Panel" in Latte-Dock. It could be instrumental to get a little feeling for this to translate the terms... Thank you.
Dock/Panel terms have no generic or official way that are applied in computers. My research ended when for clarification Dock term is used to describe something that looks and behave like a Mac or Plank dock and panel is used to describe something that looks and behaves like a windows or plasma panel. Even though this is also how these terms started to be used in Latte in the end the technology perspective was applied. Docks are usually created by having all their shadows and visuals in Client Side (in their window) and Panels are created by having shadows and some of its visual in Server Side (out of the window and provided by the compositor/window manager). So Latte is providing underneath technologies in order for shadows to be drawn either in the window or out of the window. Technologies that even though the dock/panel visuals are floating (far from the screen edge) the user input is identified properly in order to follow Fitt's Law. So from technical point of view for Latte a Dock is something that draws everything inside its own window and this is how different background shadows and roundness is provided. On the other hand a Panel is something that relies on the compositor in order to provide some functionality for example a panel background external shadows.
Thank you!
I was surprised by your explanation. I understand that the difference between "Dock" and "Panel" today is a technical one. From the end-user perspective this seem quite confusing. How to decide what to choose?? Wouldn't the average user have enough with only one of the options?
(In reply to PK from comment #3) > I was surprised by your explanation. I understand that the difference > between "Dock" and "Panel" today is a technical one. > From the end-user perspective this seem quite confusing. How to decide what > to choose?? > Wouldn't the average user have enough with only one of the options? From the user point of view the user can click Dock if wants a mac style dock and Panel if the user wants a plasma panel one. For all other cases Latte decides dock or panel based on what the user has enabled on advanced settings. So what is your issue?
That is very clever! Latte decides... And that makes translating also easy! Thank you for this latest remark!