Re: Logic behind CLOSE and EXIT.

[Rodd Clarkson <rodd pnp com au>]

Michael Meeks wrote:
> 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 ?

Yep, but that's how windows users think.  And if your trying to get them
to move over to a clearly superior platform ;-] they're not going to
stay around to long if things aren't at least similar to what they are
used to.

I agree that this windows within windows stuff is hideously unintuitive,
but it is how windows users understand it to be, and in part we need to
make sure that they are catered for at least until they understand that
there are better ways to work.  Which is why I suggested that not only
do we make CLOSE and EXIT consistent across all situations, but that an
option is included to allow either multiple worksheets within a window,
a different window for each worksheet, or a mixture of both.  This would
offer the greatest amount of flexibility, and would cater to every users
needs.

Implementing, is however, not something I can do.  I've never done this
sort of coding in my life and I simply don't have the time to learn.  At
the moment I'm simply keeping as up-to-date with gnumeric as I can and
finding out what I like and don't like and reporting bugs a necessary. 
If I find a little time some time soon, I'll happy help out with writing
online help for the various functions because it is here that my talents
my (or may not) lie.


Rodd