[ale] WPS like for Linux

[Brad Dixon]

Hello,

Since this is my first ALE post, I'll introduce myself. I'm Brad Dixon, 
GTRI coop/GT Student. Somewhat familiar with linux from use and here and 
there admin. Lots of use of OS/2.

The part of OS/2 that I really love, and would almost say can't do 
without, is the Workplace Shell (WPS). For those of you who aren't 
familiar, it is not the GUI, but rather large application based on IBM's 
System Object Model (SOM) that provides folders, shadows, associations, 
and object oriented extensability. SOM does some neat tricks with 
classing. For example the new OS/2 version coming out fall has voice 
recognition software. A dll that comes with VoiceType has a new version 
of the default object type that adds a "Voice" page to the properties 
notebook. Now every object (file to directory to filesystem to WPS to 
other SOM objects) has a voice page. If your not impressed, that's ok :)

I would like to move over to Linux, but I really do like the WPS 
interface. Two questions:

1) Are there window managers/interfaces that would resemble the concept 
of nested folders, multiple views (details, icon, tree), associations, 
property notebooks that OS/2 handles?

2) The concept of an extensible interface has always been convenient for 
extending how the user can interact with files and directories. Has there 
ever been thought in the Linux community about developing user interfaces 
beyond simply a "window manager"?

Thanks, 

Brad


-- 
Brad Dixon                                                                  
Georgia Tech Research Institute -- Atlanta, GA                             
bdixon at cmdl.gtri.gatech.edu