I have a couple of cool uses for layers. One is that I have a digital clock,
an analog clock (okay, a pseudo-analog clock), a large single pager, and a
smaller four-desk pager in the upper right corner of my screen, all sticky.
These are started when FVWM starts, and are all on layer 1, which is below
even the stays-on-bottom layer. I have a function defined to move them
all from layer 1 to layer 7 (above the stays-on-top layer) on first invocation,
and then back to layer 1 when called again. In other words, it’s a toggle.
Here is the function:
DestroyFunc “SwapLayers1-7”
AddToFunc “SwapLayers1-7”
- “I” All (Layer 7) Layer 0 0
- “I” All (Layer 1) Layer 0 7
- “I” All (Layer 0) Layer 0 1
I don’t use layers 0, 1, or 7 for anything else (except a taskbar that I
rarely bring up). I usually run most programs full screen, but occasionally
have something else, like a small xterm window, on top, and I don’t want my
clocks or pagers getting in the way, but when I want them, they’re just a
hotkey away, and when I’m through with them, the same hotkey puts them back
where they were. That hotkey is Hyper-, with my control keys being reassigned
as Hyper keys, in case anyone is wondering (I use the CapsLock key as a control
key).
The other thing I do with layers is that the Hyper-Up and Hyper-Down key
combinations raise and lower windows a layer at a time. That comes in handy
when I have a program that likes to keep bringing itself up on top of the stack.
I can either lower the offending program one layer, or I can raise the program
that keeps getting hidden against my wishes by a layer, and the problem is
solved.