Does anyone know how to make a desktop panel?

Specifically so the useable desktop adjusts its size.

I'm making a panel with gambas.

Primarily for desktops like gnome that dont allow desktop icons.

So far it shows all *.desktop files from $HOME/Desktop/ and supports the alternative right click actions from the launcher file.

I've got it opening (and auto hiding) at either top or bottom of screen but I want the desktop to shrink a bit like it does when adding something like mate-panel.

Cheers.

It's developing into an actual desktop now.

it reads the $HOME/Desktop folder and shows the icons in it ,,, on the desktop

As i've made software to deal with a .desktop files Action properties it's a bit annoying that gnome does not display the desktop folder or panels.
I know i can right click the applications in the program browser but it's a pain finding them sometimes

So here's a clip of the desktop app i'm making at mo….

I call it Desktop(ish)

<VIDEO content="http://bws.org.uk/screenrecord-2021-07-28_09.16.21.mp4">[video]

[/video]</VIDEO>

nice ...

I've got it opening (and auto hiding) at either top or bottom of screen but I want the desktop to shrink a bit like it does when adding something like mate-panel.

Do you mean the background should fit the new, reduced, size created due to a panel being added? If so, how is the image displayed?

cogier said

I've got it opening (and auto hiding) at either top or bottom of screen but I want the desktop to shrink a bit like it does when adding something like mate-panel.

Do you mean the background should fit the new, reduced, size created due to a panel being added? If so, how is the image displayed?

the video of a different app now, less a panel more a desktop view.
It's currently it's just a borderless transparent window with Stacking set to Below

the original question was about adding a bar to the screen,  yes like you say , the desktop resizing so everything including gambas would then report a different screen height.

I reckon it's probably doable with DBus somehow.
I did some research but didn't find much