add grouped window list notification count functionality

[romario-07]

This feature allows users to see a notification badge on the grouped window list applet:

• current badge UI element was reused
• builtin message tray is used to be notified if an app got a notification
• "Show window count numbers" setting was changed to comobox
• extracted badge logic into a method where it's decided if the badge is shown, when is shown and what number to show

This is how settings combobox looks:

And this indicates that I have a notification (because in settings I have "Show count numbers" = "Notification"):

Once I select "Show count numbers" = "Window" in settings combobox, it behaves as previous implementation, showing window count:

[fredcw]

Seems to work ok.

[Reno-Sifana]

Seems to work ok.

Yes. Unfortunately, Cinnamon Desktop Environment lack this features natively like others Desktop Environment. Another Desktop Environment such as Xfce, GNOME, KDE Plasma and so on already implemented this features long time ago.

[Reno-Sifana]

@romario-07 Hmm, I think you should add another option, like add Windows & Notifications grouped window list options (It's very useful when open multiple window e.g. Nemo File Manager and you have unread messages (WhatsApp, Telegram, Thunderbird and so on) at the same time), and turned on by default after installing the Linux Mint at these settings.
(it's just In My Opinion).
You're though?

[romario-07]

@romario-07 Hmm, I think you should add another option, like add Windows & Notifications grouped window list options (It's very useful when open multiple window e.g. Nemo File Manager and you have unread messages (WhatsApp, Telegram, Thunderbird and so on) at the same time), and turned on by default after installing the Linux Mint at these settings. (it's just In My Opinion). You're though?

For showing both notification and window counts, I was thinking to do it the following way:

• badge icon background color to be changed to red
• bottom blue line which indicates that the app is active to be devided in two if there are 2 windows open and divided in three if there are 2+ windows open
  

I did explain it a bit more in this comment: #10124 (comment)

I didn't make it part of this pr (the second part of the feature) because it was a bit challenging how to position correctly the dividers (based on left, right, top, bottom panel position) and to make sure it's working fine on different screen resolutions, different icon sizes, font size, screen scaling etc

On my personal day to day machine, I use the version from the image above (with the bottom blue line divided to hint if there are multiple windows open), but I can confirm works just for my specific machine settings.

[Reno-Sifana]

@romario-07 Hmm, I think you should add another option, like add Windows & Notifications grouped window list options (It's very useful when open multiple window e.g. Nemo File Manager and you have unread messages (WhatsApp, Telegram, Thunderbird and so on) at the same time), and turned on by default after installing the Linux Mint at these settings. (it's just In My Opinion). You're though?

For showing both notification and window counts, I was thinking to do it the following way:

* badge icon background color to be changed to red

* bottom blue line which indicates that the app is active to be devided in two if there are 2 windows open and divided in three if there are 2+ windows open
  ![375997442-99318257-38d8-4de3-82c2-92b13695a3e6](https://private-user-images.githubusercontent.com/11141236/394636549-9f2489dd-556e-4c25-84e1-75e99186d01c.png?jwt=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.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.pTtH2Lr-3DdsnhPuvOttXT6RpZ_a8HXlpIyOq5JxIHw)

I did explain it a bit more in this comment: #10124 (comment)

I didn't make it part of this pr (the second part of the feature) because it was a bit challenging how to position correctly the dividers (based on left, right, top, bottom panel position) and to make sure it's working fine on different screen resolutions, different icon sizes, font size, screen scaling etc

On my personal day to day machine, I use the version from the image above (with the bottom blue line divided to hint if there are multiple windows open), but I can confirm works just for my specific machine settings.

Ah, nice idea. It's reminding behavior from Windows 10 and later. And it's up to you when you should decide want to make PR (Pull Request) now or later.
thanks.

[fredcw]

There's an issue: if you change the current desktop theme while a notification badge is showing, it disappears.

Also, I don't think that this should be merged in its current form as asking users to choose between window count or notification badges is going to be unwanted choice for many people because they'd rather have both.

[fredcw]

why not have a different color badge for each and have the size adjust automatically to panel size:

24px panel:

36px:

48px panel:

[Secret-chest]

What if the windows are ungrouped?

[fredcw]

@Secret-chest You mean if you have multiple instances of an app that has notifications? All instances get the same notification indicator and focusing any of the app's instances removes the notification for all instances. Even the notifications applet doesn't distinguish between different instances of an app and think this would be difficult to change as they would all have the same app id.

[fredcw]

@romario-07 This is what I've come up with: master...fredcw:cinnamon:gwlnotifications

Do you want to create a new PR for this or shall I do it? Although, we may already too late for the 22.1 merge window.

[romario-07]

@romario-07 This is what I've come up with: master...fredcw:cinnamon:gwlnotifications

Do you want to create a new PR for this or shall I do it? Although, we may already too late for the 22.1 merge window.

You can do it. The reason why I didn't add an extra badge on the right is because it was debated here #10124 about what happens when the icons are small (#10124 (comment)) and there is not enough place to put both. Also people said that it's not a good UI/UX to have two badges.

Other distros/OSes, will mainly use a bottom ui element to indicate there is a window open (like the blue bottom line in Cinnamon) and there should be a non intrusive way of indicating there are multiple windows open (some are adding dots under the icon to indicate if there are multiple window opened, some are adding a stack effect using shadows).

For me, knowing that I have multiple app windows open is relevant, but how many, is not that important. Switching from Windows 11 to Cinnamon, this version (from the image below) makes me happy and I don't miss any information (bottom line is divided in two if there are two windows, or divided in 3 if 2+ windows):

But the version from the image above is not production ready, and it works just for my specific system settings.

My plan was to have this feature broken in two:

1. first stage to have the same ui elements reused, but to have the notifications count information available and reuse current ui elements to display the information
2. find a good UI/UX way of showing both counters: open windows count and notifications count

[Reno-Sifana]

@romario-07 This is what I've come up with: master...fredcw:cinnamon:gwlnotifications

Do you want to create a new PR for this or shall I do it? Although, we may already too late for the 22.1 merge window.

@romario-07 i have few guidelines:

1. Number of Unread notifications badge should be readable (not too small or too large) like this Screenshot below
   

2. here's example if open multiple Window on Windows 10 (A little line strip for distinguishes multiple window open. Notes: I got this screenshot from Google Images Search)
   

3. If program needs attention should be noticed, in Red color (already have been implemented natively in Cinnamon Desktop Environment long time ago). Notes: Screenshot captured from my laptop locally
   

4. PR (Pull Request) should postpone until the Linux Mint 22.2 development begun (if you already, Pull Request this add grouped window list notification count functionality #12561 early just wait until @clefebvre merged into Master branch sooner).

[fredcw]

@romario-07 How does the broken indicator line work with themes that don't have this line (e.g. Mint-X)? Do you override the theme?

@Reno-Sifana The problem is that we need something that's going to work with all themes.

[Reno-Sifana]

@romario-07 How does the broken indicator line work with themes that don't have this line (e.g. Mint-X)? Do you override the theme?

@Reno-Sifana The problem is that we need something that's going to work with all themes.

Ok. Noted.