Swallowing Pager Into Wharf Tutorial

Introduction

This article is a tutorial covering basic configuration to "swallow" (treat as an applet within) Pager into the Wharf dock module.

Get the Configuration Files Ready

Copy the files:

• autoexec
• base
• database
• pager
• wharf

to ~/.afterstep ($HOME/.afterstep) if you haven't already done so.

Edit the File "autoexec"

In the file "autoexec", comment-out the line:

"Module  "I"     Pager 0 1"

to become:

#"Module  "I"     Pager 0 1"

Edit the File "pager"

In the file "pager":

Comment-out the line beginning with "*PagerGeometry...":

	*PagerGeometry...

to become:

	#*PagerGeometry...

Change "DeskBorderWidth" from "1" to "0" on the line beginning with "*PagerDecoration...":

	*PagerDecoration  DeskBorderWidth 1, DeskBorderColor BaseDark, ...

to become:

	*PagerDecoration  DeskBorderWidth 0, DeskBorderColor BaseDark, ...

Set PagerColumns (for a vertical Wharf) or PagerRows (for a horizontal Wharf) to "1".

Vertical Wharf:

*PagerColumns 1       1

Horizontal Wharf:

*PagerRows 1

The Desk Labels ("Work", "WWW", etc.) vary in height according to the Font definitions in "Look". It's recommended to eliminate them outright on a horizontal setup (each Label can take upwards of 1/3 of a 64x64 Wharf's height); with a vertical setup, it can save on clutter and room for an already too-tall Wharf.

In the file "database", the line starting with:

	*PagerDecoration...

to read:

	*PagerDecoration NoDeskLabel, ...

Edit the File "base"

In the file "base",

Set the DeskTopScale.

Desktop scale is actually a given fraction of the screen. The default setting, "32", is 1/32 of the screen. This fraction applies to both the vertical and horizontal resolutions. This scale value is easy to calculate, as shown below.

For vertically-oriented Wharfs, it's simply the screen width in pixels divided by the width of the Wharf. Multiply the resultant by the number of viewports across. Of course, with a fraction, round UP. For example:

Ex) a 64x64 Wharf, with a 2 (wide) X 3 (tall) viewport setting, and a 1280 pixel-wide desktop.

1280/64=20

20 X 2 = 40

For horizontally-oriented Wharfs, it's the screen height in pixels divided by the height of the Wharf. Multiply the resultant by the number of viewports high. Again, with fractions, round UP. For example:

Ex) a 64x64 Wharf, with a 2 (wide) X 3 (tall) viewport setting, and a 1024 pixel-wide desktop.

1024/64=16

16 X 3 = 48

Editing the file "wharf"

from there, add the line:

	*MonitorWharf Pager - MaxSwallowModule "Pager" Pager 0 1

Where "0" is the starting desktop and "1" is the last. And you may have "*Wharf" in lieu of "*MonitorWharf", depending on your setup.

For use in Wharf, 64x64 is rather tiny in a modern desktop, I recommend setting your desktop(s) to 1x2, 1x3, or 1x4 rather than the traditional 2x2 or 2x3 (in "base", "DeskTopSize"). Or for horizontal, 2x1, 3x1, 4x1.