Xfce Forum

Alliooop

Member

Registered: 2023-01-06

Posts: 1

Is there maximize over multiple screens?

This may already exist and I don't know where to configure it, if so point me to the right place.
Other-wise call this a feature request.
I am looking for a feature like the maximize button, but that will expand a window to cover two or more screens. I can achieve this effect only by unmaximizing and then manually grabbing borders and stretching the window. However, this is slow and tedious(esp. with auto-hide panels) and doesn't allow the normal use of unmaximize to switch between the quasi-maximize and a more tiled layout.

Whether the code would be reasonable within the existing codebase I have no idea.
I know this would have a bit of complexity because screens could be in a variety of non-rectangular arrangements, such as 3 in an L shape or T shape, or 2 screens with one portrait and one landscape. But the concept is manageable with user configuration options to favor maximum area, max height, or max width while not drawing any window corners off-screen.

Less commonly useful but possible expansions on the idea may have a super-max option that does both max width and height to cover all screens, even if some corners draw off-screen; and a workspaces mega-max that stretches over all screens and workspaces, though this one may be less generally useful and would add the additional complexity of linking them horizontal or vertical or squared and, unlike super-max, probably best if no corners draw off-screen.

An example of usefulness, viewing many columns of a spreadsheet without horizontal scrolling.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,485

Re: Is there maximize over multiple screens?

Hello and welcome.

This functionality doesn't seem to exist in xfwm4, but you might be able to replicate it using xdotool. In my example, I have a laptop screen (1920x1080) to the left and an external monitor (1920x1080) to the right. Using the following command, I can stretch the window out to cover both screens:

xdotool windowsize $(xdotool getwindowfocus) 3840 1080 && xdotool getactivewindow windowmove 0 0

I can assign this to a keyboard shortcut:

bash -c "xdotool windowsize $(xdotool getwindowfocus) 3840 1080 && xdotool getactivewindow windowmove 0 0"

...and pressing the keyboard shortcut will result in a spanned maximized window.

Note: this kindof works for me - doesn't seem to cover the full width. YMMV.

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