Title bar too small with the new themes interface

[virtualdj]

Themes are a great addition, even though I still prefer the classic one, but there's a quirck IMHO. The title bar became too small with 100% UI size, comparing to other UI elements.

So minimizing or closing the window with the mouse on Windows is a lot more difficul than before. Can this element height be adjusted, at least 200% than actual size?

[bertmsk]

+++

[cidwel]

Hope this mainbar is also customizable so we can keep bigger buttons

[firenero]

I'd like to see default OS title bar here instead of this small custom implementation. Or, at least, return title bar from previous version.

[auchri]

@FireNero I also vote for a native title bar, since there are almost no differences

[ghost]

My biggest gripe with this new titlebar, is that it doesn't change state when the window gains or loses focus. There doesn't appear to be support for this in the theme files either.

I'd really prefer Telegram use native OS decorations, but AT LEAST fix this focus bug.

[john-preston]

@JensRex Well, it never changed state, so it is not this new titlebar — it always worked that way. But yes, perhaps it could be themed.

[john-preston]

@JensRex Native title bar will work far worse with color themes :( Currently I can't find any way to colorize it in Win32 apps, like it is possible in the latest macOS.

[cobalto]

I just wish it a little bigger, the old size was ok. Its really hard to hit it now and completely discrepant with the system.

[firenero]

@john-preston Yes, completely forgot about color themes, native title bar won't look good with most of them. Then you can just increase title bar size as @cobalto mentioned and it will be fine.

[luckydonald]

With themes: How about letting the themes set a size?

[KreAch3R]

And without themes: try to emulate the default dimensions and artwork of the title buttons of the default Windows 10 theme.

[AlexMedia]

In previous versions TDesktop already looked a bit "off" on Windows, but at least blended in somewhat. With the 1.0 release Telegram Desktop received a new title bar, which looks completely out of place on Windows 10.

Please compare what good ol' Notepad looks like compared to the new UI of Telegram Desktop on Windows 10:

I have these issues with the new design: 1) There is no application icon and no title. 2) My color scheme is not respected. 3) The bar is too thin. 4) The control box looks weird because of the icons: they are too small, positioned too close together, are too thick, and don't look like the ones used by Windows. (For example: Windows no longer uses an "underscore" for the minimise command, Microsoft have chosen a single horizontal line instead.)

Please add an option to TDesktop to stop rendering this part of the GUI and let Windows handle it instead. Themes should not be able to apply any custom colours to this part of the application's user interface.

[ADTC]

I'd say just get rid of the dedicated title bar and integrate the drag movement, and buttons neatly into the bar on top (which will become the new multi-purpose "title bar"). That's nothing new. A lot of programs do it this way. Exhibit A: Chrome/Firefox/Edge browser. Exhibit B: Microsoft Office applications.

[virtualdj]

Version 1.0.6 still has the issue.

[cgath-git]

If you're not going to fix the titlebar, at least change the behaviour of ESC key from "back" to "minimize".

Right now ESC key is used to exit from conversation to the list, why? It's totally useless that way. You can use the Backspace key for "going back" action, and ESC key to "minimize to tray" action.

If you don't want to bind Backspace, you can bind ESC-ESC sequence to minimize, one ESC goes back, second goes to tray. Imho, that's common practice for all chat software since early ICQ era.

[ADTC]

@liquidplace I know some games and some tray apps use Esc key as a "boss key" to hide themselves instantly. But it's not a standard to use Esc as minimize. That will be confusing unless it's an user option (off by default). Does "Win-Down" serve your needs? This works for Windows 7 and up.

[cgath-git]

Well. You can downvote all you like but ESC key --> Minimize to taskbar is common practice for many years for all programs like chat clients, media players etc. that need to be closed hundred times per day.

Programs that respond to ESC key areQ native Windows Start menu as well as any classic start menu, most media player programs like FooBar, winamp, aimp etc., most chat clients from ICQ era as i previously stated, many system info programs, as well as native Windows Taskman which is closed and not minimized (and that is somewhat confusing).

Anyway, ESC key means 'escape' and if ESCaping from a conversation to the friends/groups list IS valid, then ESCaping from the friends/groups list to the taskbar is valid too, if not a bit more necessary since the recent title bar height decrease.

We can, of course use Win+Down, CTRL+W, ALT+F4, or right-click minimize, or hunt down the ultra-tiny minimize button. It's all a matter of user-friendliness and UI ergonomics. Most devs and hardcore users lay their left hand on the keyboard and their right hand on the mouse. Any keycombination must be convienient eg. Win+Down requires both keys on the keyboard, where ESC+ESC sequence is fast, one key, dev-friendly approach.

Anyway, all of this could be obsolete if native Title bar can be reinstated. :wink:

[ADTC]

I'm not against you, but I do want to highlight both sides.

ESC key --> Minimize to taskbar ... Windows Start menu ... ESC+ESC sequence

The start menu closes with Esc, because it's considered a menu, rather than a program window. It's a standard (once again) to close menus with the Esc key. I do agree with you that it could be an option to use the Esc key as a boss key (disabled by default though) since it is quite commonplace. It would be nice if Telegram devs would implement that. But to make a new behavior to teach and learn, that is, Esc-Esc is not necessary.

CTRL+W, ALT+F4 ... left hand on the keyboard ... convienient ... Win+Down requires both keys [I think you mean hands]

You have a point about being able to minimize with just one hand, instead of both. However, both Ctrl-W and Alt-F4 are conveniently within the left-hand reach, and presently works (because they are pretty much a standard now, to close tab or window). So I don't see a need to create a non-standard behavior for the sake of satisfying one person's ultimate convenience when a nearly convenient standard already exists. But it is always nice to adopt a better standard. 😄

PS: I didn't vote you down :)

[cgath-git]

Quick answers,

• To my defense, I've listed some software using the "ESC-->minimize" practice and i could add the famous ConEmu and other widely accepted dev tools to this list. I get your point of view but i would keep my opinion that the new tiny titlebar and tiny aformentioned buttons are counter-productive, while binding ESC key to minimize from users/groups list , is valid, productive and does not break things.

• I'm currently using Alt+F4 and as a dev for 20 years now it's pretty convenient for me, so it's not a personal problem, is rather bypassing a wide problem that came with the new custom short titlebar.

• As for the downvote comment i know it's not you, no worries! It's just I've grown up learning it's common courtesy for the downvoter to express their well documented opposition along with the downvote. :wink:

[ADTC]

@luckydonald not sure what you're confused about. But if it's about the browser and office programs, I was talking about these software having a "title bar" that contains the browser tabs or ribbon tabs or quick shortcut buttons integrated right into them, instead of the traditional title bar that merely shows the title (aptly) and the window control buttons.

[CharlieChips]

@john-preston the lack of Windows native title bar themeability is actually a good thing for users who want a system-wide theme, and familiar window controls, rather than having to micro-manage on a per-application basis. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be if every application on my system required hunting down a theme so they matched.

Think about how militant Android and iOS users get when apps on those platforms defy the OS design language (remember Holo-Yolo, or the current Material-Mafia?). At the very least, if Telegram can't/won't use the system title bar, it should conform to standard window-control sizes. The current iteration of the title bar is a usability fail for mouse + keyboard, and touchscreen devices.

[cobalto]

Another update, nothing changed about that issue. tdesktop's people need to grow up.

[Zero3]

@cobalto I think our chances for a fix for this issue are better if we speak nicely to each other. Personally, I find your last comment pretty unconstructive.

[KreAch3R]

@cobalto Comments like yours are the reason developers quit opensource and FREE projects. The source is here, you can always do it yourself. Please retract your comment.

For the record: I'm not affiliated with the project and in all honestly, I want this titlebar to change asap personally, but constructive critisism is the only way to help developers besides actual code, nothing more.

[virtualdj]

Looking at the source code, I think that the commit that downsized the title bar was https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/commit/0cbb0014db6318e86bf2f5186c4aa033f8099ffe. But of course it's not easy to revert to that now, because it has to be compatible with themes. I'm not so additected to C++ and QT development to be able to push a PR myself, unfortunately.

So if there was this specifc commit (look at the commit title), maybe the devs have decided to leave the title bar so small on Windows?

[maxoku]

How about exclude title bar from themes and allow using the default OS one? It wouldn't need to be compatible anymore. I sometimes can see the default OS title bar trying to go through the themed one, but theme is forcing it back after any action. It's still there, but just covered^^. I hate when apps force their themes into UI elements like title bar.

[Silic0nS0ldier]

I share @maxoku 's opinion regarding forced title bar theming. So if the native title bar were implemented with theming capabilities, it would be great if there were a switch to turn title bar theming off.

I've done some light research, mainly to see if I can uncover any resources that might help with this issue. About the only promising lead I came across appears to be restricted to C++ UWP apps, unfortunately. However, I'll provide the link any way, perhaps someone clever will be able to figure out how its done underneath all that .NET API. https://github.com/gellston/UwpExample/tree/master

As others have said, Chrome looks like a lead too, assuming I'm not mistaken and Chrome can change the color of the title bar area. (that monolithic codebase is well beyond my experience, so good luck tracking down the code to those who try)

[Institor666]

Just let the vertical size of title bar be customizable, at least...

[apjyotirmay]

Looks like this issue is being ignored

[Aokromes]

Even this is older, maybe better #2958

[ADTC]

I guess we're all getting used to it.

[ghost]

Hey there!

We're automatically closing this issue since there was no activity in this issue since 365 days ago. We therefore assume that the user has lost interest or resolved the problem on their own. Closed issues that remain inactive for a long period may get automatically locked.

Don't worry though; if this is in error, let us know with a comment and we'll be happy to reopen the issue.

Thanks!

_{(Please note that this is an automated comment.)}

[lolsuit]

I feel like this should still be open. It's a UX bug, or at least a usability issue that should addressed.

[virtualdj]

Of course the problem is still present in the latest version of Telegram Desktop (currently v1.4) and thus this issue should be re-opened. I don't comment every time to keep it opened because there's nothing to add... the UX is still not very usable in my opinion. When the developers will make a new titlebar with more pixels in the height, then you can close it safely.

Thanks!

[Aokromes]

https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/issues/2818#issuecomment-333592414

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This issue has been automatically locked since there has not been any recent activity after it was closed. Please open a new issue for related bugs.