Proposal:
Smart, associative ordering of app icons in Unity sidebar:
The Unity side bar should order applications according to the following priorities from top to down:
Group 1 "running") At the very top: list all open (running) applications according to their window level on the desktop. So apps on the top (visible) first and apps at the bottom (partially or not visible or minimized) last.
Group 2 "preferred") second priority: show a configurable number of apps accordingly to "most frequently used" over a certain period of time. However, do not show apps that are running already here as they would belong under 1) If no application is started yet then apps belonging to 2) would show up first.
Group 3 "locked") third priority: User/OS defined order. Show all other apps that are registered at the sidebar according to the user (or OS, if the user didn't) defined order. Do not show apps here that are shown already under 2 or 1.
Behavior / associative "thinking":
If an app is "locked" and frequently used "preferred" then it is shown in Group 2. If one day the app is not anymore frequently used then it would fall back from group 2 to group 3. If the app is not even locked, than the app would disappear from the side bar completely.
Same with Group 1 "running": Once the app is closed it either returns to group 2 "preferred" (if frequently used), or to group 3 "locked" (if docked to the sidebar). Or the app disappears completely from the side bar if not frequently used and not registered.
Group 2) "preferred" can also show "unlocked" (not to the side bar docked) apps. An app can be frequently used even if it is not "locked" in the sidebar
Grouping:
Each of these groups (1. "running" 2. "preferred" 3. "locked") should get a group head. If clicked on it the group unfolds and if again clicked on it the group collapses. The groups should be draggable in order to change their vertical placement (order) in the bar.
Magnetic behavior of sidebar when visible and if switched-on autohide:
It would be great if the sidebar had a kind of "magnetic force" that helps to move the mouse vertically up and down in a straight line and to prevent an unwanted autohide. It perhaps could be managed by "mouse cursor pressure". If the pressure (configurable?) to the right border gets strong enough, the mouse cursor can escape the sidebar and autohide is triggered.
Benefit: I would save a lot of clicking, mouse dragging and wheel rolling to search and start apps or switch from one app to the other. Also it would make the user experience with the side bar much more robust (magnetic force). The Unity side bar would actually start supporting me similar to a Golf caddy who always gives me the right choice of golf clubs depending on the situation and my play style :-)
