Comment 58 for bug 733349

Design team and Mark: please, consider this. :)

REASONS FOR THE CHANGE:

The current behaviour is consistent, because it *always* show the window(s) of given application when the launcher icon is clicked. However, it breaks user expectation in some situations, when clicking the launcher icon does absolutly nothing.

This problem was already discussed a lot in the ayatana mailing list and a lot of (partial) solutions was proposed. I've tried to get the best part of them and make a complete (at least, I think it's complete) proposed solution that, in my opinion, makes unity more intuitive.

CURRENT BEHAVIOUR:

Right now, one click open a new window, if not already opened, and then cicle through the steps:
 a. focus latest used window, if not focused
 b. open spread view, if there is more than one window opened

PROPOSED SOLUTION:

The proposed solution is to add a step 'c' that minimizes all the windows.

This solution will not be enabled by default, but could be enabled in ccsm. Something like:
[X] Minimize windows when launcher icon is clicked

DETAILED EXPLANATION:

Each number represents a different situation and each letter represents a click in the launcher icon.

1. If there is no opened window for that app
 a. Open a new window
2. If there is only one opened window for that app
 a. Focus the window, if not focused
 b. Minimize the window
 c. Restore the window
 d. Goto 2.a
3. If there is more than one opened window for that app
 a. Focus the latest used window, if not focused
 b. Open spread view
 c. Close spread view and minimize all windows of that app
 d. Restore the latest used window
 e. Goto 3.a

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE:

I have two terminals and a Firefox window opened. Both three windows are not minimized. The FF window has the focus.

i. Click the FF launcher icon. The FF window minimizes
ii. Click it again. FF window restore and get focused
iii. Click the terminal launcher icon. The latest used terminal window get focused
iv. Click it again. The spread view is opened for the two terminal windows
v. Click one of the terminal windows. The clicked window get focused
vi. Click the terminal launcher icon. The spread view is opened again
vii. Click it again. Both terminal window get minimized and FF window get focused
ix. Click the FF launcher icon. The FF window minimizes. Desktop get focused
x. Click the terminal launcher icon again. Both terminal windows restore and the latest window used get focused