Slingshot and WingPanel should be usable in window overview and workspace switcher

[seanh]

Currently the panel is visible but not usable when the window overview is active. If I go into window overview and, for example, click on the Applications button in the panel, this just exits the window overview, it does not activate Slingshot as it normally would.

I don't see why (at least from a user point of view) Slingshot couldn't work in the window overview, exactly as it works normally. I could open Slingshot when in the window overview, either by clicking on Applications or by hitting the Win+space keyboard shortcut. I would stay in window overview mode, but Slingshot would pop over the window overview and steal the keyboard focus, exactly as it does normally. I could then use Slingshot to open an app, the app would "slide in" to the window overview and Slingshot would disappear, and I'd still be in window overview mode.

I think it might be really handy to be able to launch apps and open new windows from window overview mode, as well as switching to already-opened windows.

This would also help with the situation when I go into window overview mode, then realise the app I want isn't open yet, now I can open it without having to leave window overview mode first.

Other things in WingPanel: the popups that appear when I click on the date, battery indicator, wifi indicator, etc etc, may as well work as well.

This may as well all work in workspace switcher mode as well. Again, why not? But currently, WingPanel slides off the top of the screen when the workspace switcher is activated. This would have to be changed so that WingPanel remains "pinned" to the top of the screen.

Having the plank working in window overview and workspace switcher would also be good for the same reasons, see https://bugs.launchpad.net/gala/+bug/1166313 and https://bugs.launchpad.net/gala/+bug/1166312

[Jaap Broekhuizen (jaapz-b)]

I personally think stuff should not work like that when the window overview is open. Window overview is for overviewing windows and switching between them, not starting new ones.

If wingpanel and plank are visible in the window overview, activating items on them should IMO just close window overview and do the corresponding action.

[Danielle Foré (danrabbit)]

I'm going to have to agree with Jaapz. It doesn't make sense to try to interact with wingpanel or plank during the window overview and in face we exit the overview if you try to interact with these UI elements.