[Bug 509544] Re: wishlist: add indication of background tab buffer change

[JP Vossen]

> Can you get ssh etc to beep at the crucial moment?

Probably, but I think that would be manual.  I'd have to remember to add
'|| beep' or '; beep' on the end of the commands, like 'ssh user at host ||
beep' or 'rsycn stuff user at host:elsewhere ; beep'.  Not a bad work-
around though.


> ...you want the label to clearly change appearance...

Correct.  Especially depending on color scheme, I'm not sure just
bolding the font would be noticeable enough.  And I'm not sure how much
we want to overload the tab name.  Just to brainstorm:

1) Add a special-purpose indicator to each tab (e.g., see attached).

2) Overload the "X" in each tab to change color depending on status
(could be tricky depending on color scheme, esp. if using the GTK/system
scheme).

3) Overload the text font in each tab to change color depending on
status (could be tricky depending on color scheme, esp. if using the
GTK/system scheme).

4) Change the tab background color depending on status (could be tricky
depending on color scheme, esp. if using the GTK/system scheme), watch
out for white on white font/background issues.  (The ColorfulTabs FF
addon has pretty useful options like this.)

5) User selectable and of the above.

6) Semi-OT; Allow user-selectable tab background color.  I can see how
that could be handy for grouping tabs.  I usually just use different
windows, but...  Mat also complicate the items above.  (Just
brainstorming. :)


Then there is the question of state.  Again to brainstorm, there is at least:

A) There was output [and/or something beeped?]   Arguably, this could be
tricky with e.g., IRC clocks.  A complicated solution might be to allow
the user to define a section of the window/line to ignore for changes.
But that might be overkill too.  I personally have never had a problem
like that; someone at a LUG mentioned it to me.

B) Something beeped

C) The session disconnected

D) The tab has become "stale" (IOW, has not been the active tab in N
seconds)


Sample from SecureCRT (Windows) attached.  Green = good/no change, Blue = buffer change (i.e. output), Red = disconnected.  I realize that SecureCRT is a dedicated SSH/telnet/etc. tool, and not quite the same as a general "xterm" so "disconnected" might not make sense.  Then again, depending on the "when command exits" setting maybe that does make sense...

** Attachment added: "Screen shot of tab indicators on SecureCRT"
   http://launchpadlibrarian.net/38098654/SecureCRT_tab_indicators.jpg

-- 
wishlist: add indication of background tab buffer change
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/509544
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