Index: openide/arch/arch-openide-windowsystem.xml
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/openide/arch/arch-openide-windowsystem.xml,v
retrieving revision 1.42
diff -u -r1.42 arch-openide-windowsystem.xml
--- openide/arch/arch-openide-windowsystem.xml	12 Jan 2005 10:47:47 -0000	1.42
+++ openide/arch/arch-openide-windowsystem.xml	4 Mar 2005 16:24:47 -0000
@@ -513,6 +513,20 @@
     Usage of this client property is deprecated. Use API method <code>TopComponent.getPersistenceType()</code>
     instead.
 </api>
+<api type="export" group="property" name="SlidingName" category="private">
+    Valid value is any String value representing displayable title of TopComponent in
+    sliding mode. Title is shown on buttons on sides of main window for TopComponents that
+    are currently hidden in sliding state. 
+    This property has no effect on regular display names of TopComponents which are shown in
+    captions of windows/tabs in the window system.
+    It is client property of TopComponent. Usage example: To provide different, preferably
+    shorter and non changing name for sliding title of your TopComponent subclass, 
+    use <code>putClientProperty("SlidingName","your sliding title");</code> in initialization code of TopComponent
+    eg. in constructor.
+    Note that in next releases usage of this client property will be removed and replaced 
+    by API, see issue #55955 in Issuezilla on www.netbeans.org.
+</api>
+
 <!--<api group="property" name="NamingType" type="export" category="private">
     Valid values are "BothOnlyCompName", "SDIOnlyCompName", "MDIOnlyCompName". 
     Default is "" (empty string). This property controls how window (frame) title is constructed
Index: objectbrowser/navigator/src/org/netbeans/modules/navigator/Navigator.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/objectbrowser/navigator/src/org/netbeans/modules/navigator/Navigator.java,v
retrieving revision 1.27
diff -u -r1.27 Navigator.java
--- objectbrowser/navigator/src/org/netbeans/modules/navigator/Navigator.java	3 Mar 2005 11:50:13 -0000	1.27
+++ objectbrowser/navigator/src/org/netbeans/modules/navigator/Navigator.java	4 Mar 2005 16:24:47 -0000
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@
         setFocusable(true);
         init ();
         initActions ();
+        // special title for sliding mode
+        // XXX - please rewrite to regular API when available - see issue #55955
+        putClientProperty("SlidingName", getName());
     }
 
     private void init () {
@@ -804,7 +807,7 @@
         ActNodeSetter (Node node) {
             this.node = node;
         }
-        
+        

         public void run () {
             // technique to share one runnable impl between RP and Swing,
             // to save one inner class
Index: core/swing/tabcontrol/src/org/netbeans/swing/tabcontrol/SlidingButton.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/core/swing/tabcontrol/src/org/netbeans/swing/tabcontrol/SlidingButton.java,v
retrieving revision 1.6
diff -u -r1.6 SlidingButton.java
--- core/swing/tabcontrol/src/org/netbeans/swing/tabcontrol/SlidingButton.java	18 Nov 2004 13:30:56 -0000	1.6
+++ core/swing/tabcontrol/src/org/netbeans/swing/tabcontrol/SlidingButton.java	4 Mar 2005 16:24:47 -0000
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import java.awt.Insets;
 import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
 import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
+import javax.swing.JComponent;
 import javax.swing.Timer;
 import javax.swing.JToggleButton;
 import javax.swing.SwingConstants;
@@ -52,6 +53,16 @@
      */
     public SlidingButton(TabData buttonData, int orientation) {
         super(buttonData.getText(), buttonData.getIcon(), false);
+
+        // grab the text from client property 
+        // XXX please rewrite when API is invented - see issue #55955
+        Component comp = buttonData.getComponent();
+        if (comp instanceof JComponent) {
+            Object slidingName = ((JComponent)comp).getClientProperty("SlidingName");
+            if (slidingName instanceof String) {
+                setText((String)slidingName);
+            }
+        }
         
         this.orientation = orientation;
         data = buttonData;