Sunbird/Calendar - Minimize to tray

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OneMan
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Sunbird/Calendar - Minimize to tray

Post by OneMan »

Hi,
dunno if anyone is at all interested in this, it minimizes calendar/sunbird to the system tray.
http://www.users.on.net/~srgeorg/suntray/
i made changes to the source of thundercaltray, is just for calendar now. i call it suntray. heh.
made it a bit more how i liked it, and it now has the ability to start calendar if it is not already running.
also icon changes when the calendar is minimized or shown.

if ya do use it let me know what u think.

cheers steve
Last edited by OneMan on February 11th, 2005, 1:17 am, edited 3 times in total.
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

aww, has nobody tried it? added another feature. You can add -Start as a commandline argument, and it will start calendar and hide it. Ideal for a shortcut in the startup menu. Might do something funny though, I've seen it screw the window size of calendar up, but I can't reproduce this often, so no definite cause for me to fix.

man, someone try it.

steve
Nostromo
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Joined: December 3rd, 2002, 5:50 am
Location: UK

Post by Nostromo »

Hi Steve,
I have tried it.
Well.. it works, but I would like few more options, I guess.
Anyway, I am not the best tester, since I ususally open the calendar, check few to-do and appointments, then I close it.
I don't use it for alarms neither, so I cannot really fully test your little program.
I will probably give it another try.
Thanks for your work.
Nostromo.
oddman
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Joined: April 24th, 2003, 12:37 pm

Post by oddman »

Hi Steve,

First I'd like to thank you for taking the time to put this together. But I'm having a small problem with the program.
You see Suntray is able to launch Sunbird without any problems, and I've got it idling in my systray with no problems either. But...
On your web-page you say that all I have to do is minimize Sunbird to have it minimize to tray. But minimizing Sunbird (using "_" button in upper right) only minimizes Sunbird normally, to the taskbar not the system tray. Closing Sunbird (using the "X" button) just shuts it down normally. Being unable to minimize Sunbird to the systray, removes what I feel is Suntray's strongest asset.

I'm running Windows XP SP1, Sunbird 0.1.1+ from July 1st, 2004, and of course Firefox and Thunderbird.
Sunbird has its own installation folder, per your instructions Suntray was unpacked there, but not in any subfolder.

Any advice?

P.S.
I totally would have tried this sooner but I haven't checked out this forum in a few days. Sorry, but thanks again.
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

Does double clicking on the tray icon work show/hide sunbird?
It definitely should hide it, its the whole idea of the program, and I am currently testing with Sunbird 0.1.1+, on XP SP1. and it works smoothly,argh.
If it launches sunbird, then you have installed correctly.
Actually I'm using the installer version of sunbird,2004-03-06, I'll check the other.

No they've definetly changed something, mine doesn't work with the 1st/july version either, bugga. I'll fix it.
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

Should be fixed. yes? Have i broken something else. hmmm.

Is there some reason why that release does not use MozillaWindowClass for its window?
oddman
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Joined: April 24th, 2003, 12:37 pm

Post by oddman »

Woot!

Ok, so now it minimizes correctly and I've got it so that Suntray launches Sunbird at start-up. Very nice. Alarms work!

Some more bugs :) hope you don't mind.

1) This is more odd than anything else, I certainly don't think it is that big of a deal but still thought I'd mention it. When I have the Sunbird folder open, suntray interacts the folder instead of Sunbird. Hiding the windows folder, etc. like I said more odd than anything else.

2) When Suntray is launched with "-start" Sunbird starts hidden. This is quite nice, and it is as I would expect. But if you start Suntray without "-start" the first time you ask it to show Sunbird by either double clicking or using the right-click option box from systray Sunbird also gets hidden, forcing you to ask for it again in order to see it. This is another minor issue since I doublt too many Suntray users are going to start it by itself and then use it to launch Sunbird, but again it is something you might want to look at if you have time. Of course, this could be the intended behavior and it's just me that finds it weird.

3) Exiting Suntray while Sunbird is hidden causes Sunbird to open forcing me to close it manually. Feature or bug, I honestly can't tell. I could certainly think that it is a feature designed to keep you from closing the calendar accidentally by absentmindedly closing Suntray. Perhaps an option to let the user pick which action he'd prefer (close with suntray or leave as it) would be good.

4) I can't replicate this, but at least a couple of times I've seen firefox launched when I was interacting with Suntray. odd.

5) Thank you very much for taking the time to set up this nice program, some of us have been asking for something just like this for a while now. I realize that you are probably busy with other stuff and can't dedicate too much time to Suntray so please take my "bug" report in good faith and don't feel that I'm being negative or harsh. I think Suntray is quite usable as it is and I will definitely be keeping it. I myself have no programming skills, so serving as a nit-picky alpha-tester is really the only way I can give back to the community, well besides evagelising. Thanks again, I'm looking forward to Suntray 0.4 :)
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

I am soooo not busy. I've got holidays. So now is the time to ask for features. My calendar is empty :)

*New* In 0.3 you can add Exit as a command-line parameter, and it will close calendar when suntray is closed.

1) Thats funny, I laughed out loud when i read that, mainly because i didn't think of it. Its to do with the first case you had it not working. I don't know what the name of the window class is for that version, with the installer version it is MozillaWindowClass, so i simply changed it to check for "Mozilla Sunbird" in the title, before it checked for both, no wait, I don't know actually, the title would have to be exactly "Mozilla Sunbird", If i open the folder its "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Sunbird" and it doesn't interact with it. Is the title of folder window "Mozilla Sunbird". if its not I don't know, I can't reproduce it.

2) Yes i am aware of this, and its already annoyed me. I will change it so on program startup it starts it hidden, but all other times it will start it normally. This is what you want yes?

3) Did ya read the website? New feature. "Exit" will cause Sunbird to quit whenever you close suntray. I really like this. It happened because suntray was not made to close calendar at all. It just made sure it wasn't hidden when it exited. Nothing other than that, closing just had not been built in, now it has.

4) Are you sure it wasn't the weird sunbird browser? If you try to start sunbird when it is already open, weird things happen. If able to reproduce would be handy. Maybe suntray closed and sunbird was still hidden for some reason.
I can reproduce it now. Start up suntray twice, each with "Start" option. Second one opens up the weird sunbird browser. I might stop suntray being opened twice. That'll stop that from happening. Actually, just have sunbird running, and start up suntray with "Start" option, = browser. So now i'll have to check if Sunbird is already running.

5) I'm a university student. On holidays. Lots of time. In about 2 weeks I'll probably have nooo time. I really appreciate your comments, at least someone else besides me likes my program :) And everything you've said has been constructive.

Well off to make 0.4 :)
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

Done. 0.4 is there. I really need to find something else to do.
No real changes or features added, just changed some behaviour and fixed some bugs. Hopefully.
reply to oddmans issues.
1) - Not addressed, may act even weirder now. I have not witnessed this behaviour, will address if I get more info. It shouldn't be a real problem as is though.
2) - Changed as said above.
3) - was addressed in 0.3
4) - Should be unable to reproduce this behaviour now.
5) - Job interview tomorrow. wish me luck.

I'm pretty happy with it now, I use both options, and use a shortcut to suntray instead of a shortcut to sunbird. Hopefully it works as well for everyone else that tries it???

steve
Syrek
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Joined: January 22nd, 2004, 5:38 am

Post by Syrek »

Whn I minimize my folder where sunbird is installed, it minimizes that one to the tray. My folder is named Mozilla Sunbird, this is kinda irritating :D
Arterion
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Post by Arterion »

This is a really great program. I'm using it and find it immensly useful. This app makes it fesible to leave Sunbird running in the background, thus making it's "alarm" features worthwhile. This is, in my mind, almost a necessity, or else the entire program is pratically useless.

If you're asking about new features, I do suggest a couple:
1) Ability to change the tray icon.
2) Option for single-click instead of double-click on the suntray icon to show/hide sunbird.
3) Ability to assign a hotkey to show/hide sunbird.
4) Ability to show/hide sunbird from a command line (Calling the .exe with a command "..\suntray.exe -showhide" -- this is useful for people who use non-traditional methods of opening applications, such as an html link on active desktop or something like stardock's objectbar or objectdock)

Those are the only things I can think of at the moment. If I run into any bugs, I'll be sure to post those here, too. I do really apprecaite the work you've put into this. It's taken Sunbird from a novelty to something I can actually use in place of a commercial application.
-Arterion
Arterion
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Post by Arterion »

This is a really great program. I'm using it and find it immensly useful. This app makes it fesible to leave Sunbird running in the background, thus making it's "alarm" features worthwhile. This is, in my mind, almost a necessity, or else the entire program is pratically useless.

If you're asking about new features, I do suggest a couple:
1) Ability to change the tray icon.
2) Option for single-click instead of double-click on the suntray icon to show/hide sunbird.
3) Ability to assign a hotkey to show/hide sunbird.
4) Ability to show/hide sunbird from a command line (Calling the .exe with a command "..\suntray.exe -showhide" -- this is useful for people who use non-traditional methods of opening applications, such as an html link on active desktop or something like stardock's objectbar or objectdock)

Those are the only things I can think of at the moment. If I run into any bugs, I'll be sure to post those here, too. I do really apprecaite the work you've put into this. It's taken Sunbird from a novelty to something I can actually use in place of a commercial application.
-Arterion
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

Syrek wrote:Whn I minimize my folder where sunbird is installed, it minimizes that one to the tray. My folder is named Mozilla Sunbird, this is kinda irritating :D


This was mentioned above. I had an issue with the latest zipped version of sunbird, the window class name is not MozillaWindowClass for some reason. so instead it will minimize any window called "Mozilla Sunbird", its a dodgy fix really. If you want it fixed find out for me what the window class name is and I'll fix it properly for you. Otherwise I don't imagine you'll actually have that particular folder open very often, so I don't imagine it will be to much of an issue for you.

Arterion - I like praise, even when repeated.
1) Aw don't you like my artwork? I don't really see that as very necessary feature, if you give me a prettier icon i'll be happy to use it.
2) Might add that. I do feel sorry for ppl who get sore fingers.
3) A hotkey, jeepers.
4) I've started thinking about this one. I put a block on suntray being run twice, I could maybe when it gets run the second time get it to send a message to the original telling it to show/hide. This would work methinks. And you wouldn't even need the extra parameter.
About the hotkey, can you set a hotkey to open a program in windows? If you can do that 4) would give you that feature as well. Otherwise i doubt I'll do that one.
OneMan
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Post by OneMan »

*new* feature added to 0.4 - I couldn't really go up another version on the same day.
Starting suntray, when there is already a copy open, causes Show/Hide to occur instead.
I reckon this is clever.
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Lazlo Woodbine
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Post by Lazlo Woodbine »

What about adding the ability to pick the icons that appear in the tray?
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