Over the past year I’ve received quite a few questions from people wondering how I manage all the windows that must be all over the place on all the various screens and systems. The standard answer is that “I’ve got my own little tool that I developed for managing window layouts” (on single as well as multiple systems simultaneously). However, that standard answer seems to result in even more questions as to how it works and what it does. Since I’m a firm proponent of code re-usability I’m also a firm believer in not wasting too much time answering the same questions over and over again so I’ve decided to answer the question in detail, once and for all.
What I’m using for my windows and layout management is the Window Layout Manager, or WiLMA for short (hey, as developers we’re allowed to invent a dozen new acronyms each day and we like that little perk!). For all the details you can visit the Window Layout Manager page I’ve added to the site or just click the image below if you want a larger click target.
You call this “rambling”? You didn’t go on and on, detailing every mundane feature, ad nauseum. I know, that would probably bore the hell outta your readers, myself included. But that doesn’t matter. We want truth in advertising, dammit. This part of your site is called “ramblings”, we want rambling. Read some Hunter Thompson, smoke some pot, drink some scotch, you’ll learn how to truly ramble.
Ok, we don’t really want that here. I just felt the need to say more than just “cool app, man”.
So uh…. cool app man. 😉
BTW, I notice you say that “…it’s been written for proprietary use…”, but as the code isn’t exactly proprietary, why not simply release it as FOSS on a site like sourceforge or similar? You might be able to get a few developers to join you on the project, and you wouldn’t really have to devote much time to project management or code maintenance. Let them do it all. Then we can download it, and use it ourselves. Also, what did you code it in? Is the language platform-dependent, or could this app also be installed on a *nix or Mac box?
I do website design, deployment and maintenance, so I use Windows, Linux and Mac, to ensure that my websites function as they should across all platforms. I’m looking into Synergy to run all my computers from one keyboard and mouse, so this would be the next step for me, if it’s cross-platform supporting.
LOL! I’ve been through all the Hunter S. Thompson stuff, and William Gibson for that matter. Scotch, eh? Yes please! Highland Park! Preferably the 25yr old, or if I’ve got a special occasion the 40yr old!
OK, now you’ve got me rambling! Scotch! It may not come as a surprise that one of my favorite places in San Francisco is a bar called the Bourbon & Branch. The absolute COOLEST and most FUN place to have seriously professional drinks, many of which you won’t easily find anywhere. You need a password at the door to get in and if you head for the speakeasy (called the ‘library’) you’re led to a bookcase that opens and leads to the hidden ‘secret’ bar which is entirely in a dim-lit perfectly maintained 1920’s style.
I always need to start off with a Sazerac when I’m there, simply because in all the places I’ve been able to get one made, Bourbon & Branch makes the best ones. Of course, this is also because the mixologists at the bar take their time to perform their craft and magic. The Slanted Door also makes a really great Sazerac, though.
I like to give credit where credit is due, though. It’s Sallie’s lawyer-turned-entrepreneur friend and Bond Grrl author of Be A Bond Girl who got me into the whole Sazerac thing. She mentioned it as one of the special drinks she had at the Slanted Door while Mr. Martini just happened to also be sitting at the bar (she ordered the Sazerac because she heard about it on Mr. Martini’s podcast, talk about it being a small world!). So logically I had to try one as well… and got hooked on it instantly. I’ve now made it my purpose in life to get as many Sazerac’s in as many places and rate them all on a scale of 1 to 10 only to spend the rest of my aging life writing a trilogy that contains all the reviews and ratings so that others can take the advice and go off on their own wonderful discovery of the oldest of cocktails known to mankind! Now *that* is a legacy worth leaving for the future. Who needs all this software stuff anyway! 🙂
One tip for all the other developers out there… don’t drink and code! 🙂
Don’t drink and code? You can’t be serious! I get my best inspiration by drinking and coding. Of course, I have to come back to it sober, to work out all the kinks and bugs, but hey, the idea itself would have never come to me without the alcohol, lol. 😉
I’ve just reread this, and followed the embedded links, now that you’ve put them in. I love the look of Bourbon & Branch. That looks like a great place. I’ll have to put that on my list of places to visit. Do they make their Sazerac with Absinthe though, now that it is again legal in the US? It sounds like a drink I’m going to have to try, unfortunately Absinthe is still not legal here in Canada, so I guess any bar in which I can find it will use one of the substitutes.
“I guess the next question I might be asked is… ‘Can I have it?!’ or ‘Where can I get it?!’. […] Maybe if there’s a lot of interest for WiLMA to be available as some kind of download I might chance my mind. Drop me line.”
Ok… I’ll drop one. I don’t have such an impressive monitor setup, but I’d still be able to make good use of such an application. So if you should decide to publish the code (or maybe just send me a copy? — I promise not to hassle you with questions :), I’d be one you could count on to try it.
WiLMA looks like an great application. I have tried some many other windows managers and was considering writting one myself … but your ticks all the requirement boxes. Although I guess as soon as I get a copy I would want to change it … but that’s software (Never does exactly what you require 🙂 ).
If you have the time to email me a copy to try / play with that would be great …
If not …. well can’t say I didn’t ask 🙂
I current use Maxivista, Synergy and Multimon with a few other desktop extensions like DM2. I am guessing as it’s a .Net app compatibility issues are likely to be low.
P.S. I don’t want a copy if it crashes alot 🙂
Very interesting app indeed.
I myself have developed something similar, but has very few features compared to yours!
And, of course, like Gerhard qwibbles said, Can I have it? 😀
Cool! I wouldn’t really use this (I don’t have multiple monitors and all that stuff), but at least it would be really cool to see. Even more if the source code was released, like Loki said.
Really, I think you should release it. It doesn’t matter if there’s no documentation, just release it and we’ll figure it out.
Are you able to align window edges against the desktop edges?
I have a laptop that I use and my screen dimensions/resolution changes depending on if I connect it to an external monitor or not.
What I am looking for is every time I open Outlook I’d like it to align the bottom of the window to the bottom of the Desktop (or top of the taskbar). Does your application or can your application accomplish this?
It would be great just to test drive your application. It sounds extremely useful.
Sounds like a great app.
Writing one myself just playing with repositioning windows on multiple screens.
Would be nice to see the source though and habe some fun playing with it 🙂 … and like Javier said:
Hey looks like an awesome app!
Been meaning to write one myself to better manage myself, but this seems to have most issues covered. Great job on the setup of the office as well!
Like everyone else here..can I have it too?
Thanks and take care!
Hi Stefan,
WilMa is still working great after 6 months. I get a few bounds errors when manually entering incorrect limits during configuration or a number higher than the number of monitors I current have attached to the system but otherwise it’s very good and stable and works without issue with Ultramon (Used to manage different numbers of monitors) and WinSplit Revolution or AHK WinPad script for quick positioning. Anyway WilMa is still the best free window manager I have used bar none. I use the profiles and regular expression matching the most.
I have posted on the Donation Coder forums and you may get a few visitors posting here asking for the download link … Just telling you in advance.
Thanks again.
Phil
P.S. I might try Actual Window Manager now Donation Coder have a discount on it … not really sure I need it now I have Wilma.
Hey Stefan, just wanted to drop by and say thanks for this great application. I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, and cluttered windows are one of the things I hate with a passion. Before I found your great application, I was using WinSplit Revolution. It’s a great tool, but unfortunately it doesn’t have the amount of configuration options as your application. WiLMA lets me finally have all the control I need (well, almost, but one can’t have everything :).
So, thank you for sharing WiLMA, my computing experience is now one step closer to perfection.