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From: d3e758@bucky.pnl.gov (JE Pelkey)
Subject: Multi-screen apps and window managers
Message-ID: <1993Apr17.010006.9857@serval.net.wsu.edu>
Originator: d3e758@bucky.pnl.gov
Sender: news@serval.net.wsu.edu (USENET News System)
Organization: Battelle Pacific N.W. Labs
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 93 01:00:06 GMT
Lines: 50



I am working on a project to provide an emergency management
information system.  In keeping with more classic command and
control type systems, we are considering developing a dual screen monitor
system in order to provide a status board on it's own monitor.  
I have a number of X level questions regarding this:

(We are devloping on Unix systems using X/Motif. Platform will be 
predominantly Sun's, probably with ports to RS/6000 as well).

I am assuming the standard dual monitor systems are configured
such that we are talking about one X display and multiple screens,
and not multiple X displays.   Given this:

	- Is changing input focus from one screen to the other as simple
	as tracking your mouse from one screen to the other?  There's
	nothing special that needs to be done to shift focus between
	screens?

	- Do I have to run separate window managers on the separate
	screens or are there multiscreen window managers out there?
	What are they; who sells them...

	- Is a multi-screen window manager the only way I can grab a
	window frame and move a window from one screen to the next?

	- Is there any way for the application to transparently see
	multiple screens as one logical x-y plane, or does the hardware
	only provide for each screen to start at 0,0?

	- Any thoughts on the difficulties involved with designing a
	system capable of using either multiple screens or a single
	screen (perhaps running a virtual window manager to simulate
	multiple screens instead)?  
	I am assuming that this is not a major issue - that I can rely
	on providing config files which will specify for each
	configuration the screen placement of each window in the
	application.  Any thoughts or suggestions from past experience
	are more than welcome.


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Jo Pelkey                                   Phone: (509)375-6947
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs             Fax:   (509)375-3641
Mail Stop K7-22                             Email: je_pelkey@pnl.gov
P.O. Box 999
Richland, WA  99352
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