Re: Logic behind CLOSE and EXIT.

[Michael Meeks <michael nuclecu unam mx>]

Hi Darin,

On Fri, 3 Dec 1999, Darin Maxwell wrote:
> FYI, in Excel, you can use Ctrl-Tab to cycle through open workbooks(i.e.
> files) and Ctrl-PageDown/PageUp to cycle through worksheets.

	I don't quite understand this. IIRC Excel 97 and earlier had this
silly MDI stuff, whereas all manner of windows float inside the main
window neccessitating <alt><tab> to switch real window and <ctrl><tab> to
switch contained window. IMHO this behaviour was confusing, non-intuitive,
difficult to learn, inconsistant and wasteful. Seemingly MS rumbled this,
and IIRC Excel 2000 junks MDI ( at least by default ). Hence, should you
want to switch through open files you should be able to bind a WM key (
eg. <alt><tab> ) to do this for you ?

> I believe the stated goal of Gnumeric is to, at least initially, replicate
> the functionality in existing spreadsheet programs, if it makes sense. I
> don't see anything wrong with the behavior of Windows programs like Excel in
> regards to close and exit. It's logical and consistent. It's what people
> coming from Windows expect. Why change something that works and is familiar
> to so many people, especially at this stage of development?

	If you are complaining that when you load a file from a blank
untouched sheet it creates a new window then fine; go for it; submit a
patch to check if the workbook has ever been dirtied & whether it contains
anything ( not too tough ), and if not then load the first file over it.
However asking for the Excel functionality ( which if I understand it
correctly ) is to hide this initial untouched sheet behind the sheets you
open in a confusing MDI fashion then this is unlikely to be implemented
anytime soon.

	Anyhow, a small patch to check for a blank sheet, then another for
a blank, clean workbook followed by its removal in the first instance 
might be appreciated, this would be a good way to get into gnumeric
development.

	Regards,

		Michael.

-- 
 mmeeks@gnu.org  <><, Pseudo Engineer, itinerant idiot