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Topic: «Minimum size when opening a window? » on forum: Technical Support   Views: 6980
 
Pim Joosten
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Posted: 08/23/2011 08:23:38
 
 
 I am trying to find a setting that resizes a newly opened window to a certain minimum size when it is at first smaller than this minimum size, but leaves it bigger when it is bigger than the minimum size. Also, and that is important, after opening I want to be able to manually resize the window smaller than the minimum size.

In my case I am looking for such a rule for Excel, because I found that occasionally Excel opens with a small size. Most spreadsheets need to have a certain size, so it would make sense to have such a rule. However, in few cases I want to be able to make the window smaller than this predefined size. Because this happens rarely, it would be okay for me to have to do that manually after opening the spreadsheet. My main reason for this rule is that almost all spreadsheets need a certain minimum size. I could also think of other applications for a setting like this, e.g. browsers.

I know there is an option to define the minimum size of a window. However, this option does not allow me to decrease the size below that minimum. Also, if I have defined a minimum of let’s say 900 x 700 pixels, it does not allow me to snap the window to the left or right half of the screen, because that size is smaller than the defined minimum width. There are some cases where I want to be able to do that, f.i. when I want to compare the data of a spreadsheet on one side with a browser or text document on the other side.

The option to resize when opening does not do what I want, because if I close a spreadsheet with a bigger size and later reopen it, the size will be reduced to the predefined smaller size, which I do not want.

For me the perfect solution would be to be able to define a minimum window size while opening and only then. After that, I want to be able to resize the window to whatever size I want. This probably is not an option currently. In that case please treat this as a feature request.

If indeed it is not an option currently, is there an easy way to quickly override a minimum size setting? I have looked for it, but was not able to find it. In that case I could define a rule specifying a minimum size, but I could also quickly override it by pressing a button. This would be a next best solution for me, although in that case I would still like to submit the above feature request, because that is the nicest solution.

I am currently using AWM 6.6.
 
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Vasiliy Ivachev
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Posted: 08/24/2011 02:11:41
 
 
 Hello Pim,

Thanks for the post.

Could you give me a more detailed example with Excel (with window sizes on each step; with description what should Actual Window Manager do in all cases; and maybe with some screenshots)?

As I understood, you want the option that allow you to resize the window smaller than its' minimal size (predefined by the "Fix minimal size to" option). Like the "Resize" button could set the window size smaller than its' minimal size.
Am I right?

Best regards.
 
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Pim Joosten
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 Posts: 549
Joined: 11/11/2010
Posted: 08/26/2011 14:08:04
 
 
 Hello Vasiliy,

Normally when Excel (or almost any other program) opens the size it had when it was last closed is restored. However, sometimes because of unclear reasons it opens in a smaller window, which is annoying, because most Excel spreadsheets need a bigger window.

I would like to be able to make a specific setting in AWM that Excel opens with a minimum pixel size of let’s say 800 x 600. If Excel wants to open in 500 x 400, then AWM resizes Excel to 800 x 600. But if Excel wants to open with size 1024 x 768 AWM does nothing and Excel opens in 1024 x 768. After opening I will then still be able to reduce the window size below 800 x 600 after opening, because this minimum size is only applied at startup. So if I only need to see a small spreadsheet or a small portion of a spreadsheet, I can still manually adjust the size.

I think it would also be nice to be able to set a similar behaviour but then for maximum window sizes. I do not have an immediate need for it yet, but I surely can think of uses for this maximum. An example with numbers: let’s assume we choose the same size as above of 800 x 600. In this case the 500 x 400 window is left intact, but the 1024 x 768 window is reduced by AWM to 800 x 600. Here too I will still be able increase the window size above 800 x 600 after the window is opened, because this maximum size is only applied at startup.

I have not provided a screenshot because I think this illustration is sufficient.

Quote
As I understood, you want the option that allow you to resize the window smaller than its' minimal size (predefined by the "Fix minimal size to" option). Like the "Resize" button could set the window size smaller than its' minimal size.
Am I right?

The quoted option is only a second best option. What I really would like to have is what I described above by having a setting f.i. at the position of the oval in the attached picture, where I can choose with a checkbox for minimum (or maximum). Then only when a window is opened and I have checked minimum and the opening window is smaller than the set minimum AWM enlarges the window to the specified minimum (and vice versa if I check the suggested maximum box). This is unlike the other settings “Fix minimal size to” and “Fix maximum size to”, which are always active and not just when opening a window.

I assume that what I suggested is not currently possible in AWM, because I have looked and not found it. What you wrote and what I quoted is right, but only as a temporary solution. I was wondering whether this is currently possible within AWM to make up for the lack of the first suggestion, if it is indeed missing. If this temporary solution currently is not available, then I'd rather you would implement my suggestion above and not the temporary solution.

I hope you can make heads or tails from this  :)

Many thanks!
 
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Vasiliy Ivachev
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Posted: 08/28/2011 22:07:55
 
 
 Hello Pim,

Thanks for the good explanation.

Why don't you want to use specific settings for Excel with the "Resize Window Automatically At startup to" option?
You are able to resize a window manually with this option turned on.

And also you could use the "Save size on exit" option in this specific settings.

Best regards.
 
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Pim Joosten
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 Posts: 549
Joined: 11/11/2010
Posted: 09/01/2011 09:08:57
 
 
 Hello Vasiliy,

The problem with the "Resize Window Automatically At startup to” option, is that all windows are always resized to that size at startup. For the 1st example in my previous post this would for instance mean that the 1024 x 768 size is resized to 800 x 600. In the case of Excel, I very often open spreadsheets which I have been working on before and I would like them to open in the same size, e.g. 1024 x 768 should reopen in 1024 x 768.

In the mean time I have noticed that there are more applications where being able to set a minimum or maximum size when opening would be very handy. One example is for Firefox. Recently it also spontaneously opened in a small size. With the requested rule this would not have happened. Here too, fixing a minimum does not make sense, because sometimes I want to reduce the size of the browser to be able to use the browser information together with other open windows.

About your suggestion “Save size on exit”: that may do the trick. I have not used this option before, because I assumed that Windows always restores a window to its previous size. What is the difference between window size restore built into Windows and AWM’s window size restore? This has always been unclear to me and may be the reason for not using it (and forgetting about it). Is the difference perhaps that it is the same function but more certain, because AWM stores the data somewhere else where they cannot be corrupted as easily as (apparently) within Windows?

Many thanks as always :)
 
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Vasiliy Ivachev
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 Posts: 2073
Joined: 11/09/2010
Posted: 09/01/2011 22:22:18
 
 
 Hello Pim,

Thanks for the message.

We'll consider this request.

Best regards.
 
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Pim Joosten
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 Posts: 549
Joined: 11/11/2010
Posted: 09/02/2011 03:51:08
 
 
 Hello Vasiliy,

Thanks for your reply. I am still curious though about the answer to my question:
Quote
What is the difference between window size restore built into Windows and AWM’s window size restore? This has always been unclear to me and may be the reason for not using it (and forgetting about it). Is the difference perhaps that it is the same function but more certain, because AWM stores the data somewhere else where they cannot be corrupted as easily as (apparently) within Windows?

Best regards.
 
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Vasiliy Ivachev
Administrator
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 Posts: 2073
Joined: 11/09/2010
Posted: 09/05/2011 23:47:47
 
 
 Hello Pim,

Thanks for the message.

The restoring of the window size depends on the application.

Some of applications don't save their window size.

Specific settings with the "Save size on exit" option turned on save the window size even application doesn't do it.

Best regards.
 
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Pim Joosten
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 Posts: 549
Joined: 11/11/2010
Posted: 09/06/2011 06:33:43
 
 
 Thank you Vasiliy. I learned something new today  :D

Best wishes.
 
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