[vlc] Questions (not support/asking for help) about the various Windows versions of VLC

[J S]

This is not a request for support services, but rather for some information as to why things are as they are.
My issue is that, comparing versions 0.9.8a, 1.0.2, 1.1.0, and 1.1.5 (for Windows, 32 bit), it seems that features come and go, and that, in particular, the later versions seem to have a serious bug.  I could understand, of course, if early versions had bugs that are fixed in later versions, but it is sad when it is the other way around.
Furthermore, I understand that it may be possible to get around some of these problems by getting the source, fiddling with the configuration and re-compiling.  However, I don't want to have to go that route on the Windows platform; I am sticking with released "EXE installer" versions.  Specifically, I am comparing 0.9.8a, 1.0.2 and 1.1.0/beyond.
Now, there are 3 features at issue here:1) The Console control interface2) Correct support for full screen mode with multi-monitor3) Correct handling of Windows "desktops"
The thing is this: version 0.9.8a had this nifty feature of a Console interface, that you could easily activate by doing Tools/Add Interface/Console.  I wrote a program that wrapped around VLC using the console interface.  Unfortunately, this feature was removed in later versions, so my program won't work with any later version.  As far as I can tell, the Console interface is missing or broken in all later versions.  The other, similar interfaces (telnet, rc, etc) all seem to be in various states of "not working" as well.
So, versions 0.9.8a does everything I need and does it well, except for one thing.  If you are running VLC on a secondary monitor and switch to full screen, it doesn't work right.  That is, it doesn't switch to full screen on the secondary monitor.  Starting with version 1.0.2, full screen multi-monitor works correctly.
However, starting with version 1.1.0, VLC doesn't work if you are using the Windows multiple desktops functionality.  That is, a desktop created with the CreateDesktop API call.  What happens is that if you run VLC on one desktop, then switch away from that desktop, the VLC process is killed.  When you switch back to the desktop upon which you started VLC, it is no longer there.
So, the result of all this is that I have to use 0.9.8a if I want to use my program (that depends on the Console interface).  Else, I use 1.0.2 so that I can do full screen in multi-monitor.  And I can't use any version after that (starting with 1.1.0) at all, because of the desktops problem.
Can you shed any light on why all of this is true?  It doesn't seem to make any sense to me.  I'd like, of course, to just be able to use the latest version and be happy with that.
Thanks...


      
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