Re: Logic behind CLOSE and EXIT.

["Darin Maxwell" <falcon wt net>]

Michael Meeks <michael@nuclecu.unam.mx> on Saturday, December 04, 1999 10:43
AM wrote:
> 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 ?

Ok, I accept it. You're right. That sounds more like the Unix way to do
things, which is fine as long as WM's install <Alt-Tab> functionality as a
default. I guess I can live with the two extra seconds it takes to find the
right window if it makes 80% of computer users happy. <grin> All of my
coworkers are as dependent on Excel as I am, and yet all of them use the
mouse to select the file they want from the Window menu. I guess Ctrl-Tab
will die and I'll waste maybe 10 whole minutes of my life cycling through
windows. Oh, well.

> 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.

Excel functionality is to do what you're suggesting is fine. When you open
another file, if the Book1 it starts with hasn't been used, it loads the new
file over it. Book1 quietly goes away.

Actually, that's not really a problem for me. I'm more concerned with
closing down Gnumeric when you hit Close for the last open document.
Gnumeric shouldn't assume the user wanted something they clearly didn't
intend. If they wanted to close the program, they'd choose exit. We aren't
so much document-driven as we are process-driven. My process involves heavy
use of my spreadsheet program, so it should stay open and running without me
having to have a document open. If nothing else, make this an option for the
program.

Darin Maxwell
falcon@wt.net