Show contents while dragging

[UnConeD]

I know this is not vital now, but I get annoyed as hell on Windows boxes that still have the "show contents while dragging" option turned off (that is, you get a dotted frame when dragging/resizing windows, lists, ... instead of seeing the window move). PC's these days really have enough power to paint every intermediate frame and it's much easier to resize a list's headings when you can see how the end result will be.

In any case, I'd like it if Winamp read this setting from the registry and behaved appropriately.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about:
(Win2k) Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Display -> Effects -> Show window contents while dragging. If font smoothing (anti-aliasing) is turned off here, turn it on: you're missing out (you'd be surprised at the amount of PC's that have this feature turned off).

[henry3k56]

Talk to Winamp2 developers, thats because it behaves the same way for "show contents in frame when dragging" for Winamp3. It can't do what you want it to do for window frames on your computer. Also Windows98 does have this same feature, right click on the desktop, properties. Effects, checkmark Show Window contents when dragging. Also scaling the windows can be another problem for resizing Winamp3. Only ones that if you make the resize the scale would be Winamp, Thinger, and Equalizer. Others would be the resizing the looks, and that you can stretch like the playlist and media library.

[UnConeD]

Hmmm I couldn't make much of your post. What I'm talking about is this:

When show contents while dragging is turned off and you move/resize a window or the headers of a list, you get a dotted line or rectangle that shows you where the window/column will end up. Once you let go of the mouse, it shows the result.

When it's on, you never get a dotted line or rectangle, it just shows you the result while you're dragging it.

Winamp2 ignored this setting and always showed the result while dragging.

Winamp3 ignores this setting and shows a dotted line/rectangle when you're resizing a window so that the original scale is kept (e.g. configurification). When you're rescaling a window (stretching it, e.g. the main window), it shows the contents while dragging (didn't notice this before).

In any case, the behaviour is inconsistent and ignores the user's global settings in windows. Why not be a good app, read this setting, and behave appropriately?

(PS: You mean Winamp2 is still actively worked on aside from the occasional bugfix? )

[henry3k56]

I understand now. I tested both the resizing in WA3 and WA2 with show contents in window, and without it. Winamp3 just does the dottedlines when you resize the playlist. In Winamp2 only resizes contents instead of the dottedlines. WA3, and WA2 are totally backwards when it comes the the windows settings in the program. Maybe someone else from Development may have a clue on the opposite attributes of resizing screens of Winamp.

[UnConeD]

Well I think I know what the cause is (I've done some windows programming before). Normally, an application uses standard windows libraries for most of its graphical representation (windowborders, titlebar and common controls such as button, editboxes and lists). Now because Winamp3 is completely skinnable, it has to have its own code for all these things, because standard windows controls don't (adequately) support skinning in the way Winamp allows it. This means the code for resizing/dragging is also custom: it seems someone forgot about show contents while dragging and just implemented one of the two modes.

Personally I think the dotted-line mode is irritating (especially when dragging the headings of detail-lists), but it might be best to have both dotted-line support and show-contents-while-dragging support.

[henry3k56]

Well, if you have noticed, WA3 does take alot of system resources to operate. Making it resize without the dottedlines makes it harder for it to render. Showing each pixel being drawn on WA3 Skin is difficult than having it resized, then rendering the pixels for WA3 Skin size..