Re: Is there any document centred application framework done for Gnome?

[Alan Shutko <ats acm org>]

>>>>> "F" ==   <fcolaco@spider.fis.uc.pt> writes:

F>   If anyone, dispite the criticisms to MS (which are mostly
F> understandable and even justified) wishes to preservere in making a
F> Document Centred API and user interface available for the Gnome
F> programmers, let's hear about it.

MDI isn't a document-centered paradigm.  It's application-centered.
The whole point of MDI is that documents are subservient windows of a
larger application window, rather than independant entities.  

MDI is annoying to me because it enforces a line between
applications.  It's much more difficult to say, place a drawing window
next to my web browser on one desktop (since I'm drawing something to
a list of requirements), place another web browser window in nother
desktop where I'm previewing my web page, etc.  If my web browser were
MDI, how could I do that?  I wouldn't be able to drag web browser
windows out of their MDI parent window.

It seems to me that MDI was developed to reduce confusion between
applications when people are multitasking.  You can have Word, and no
matter how many documents you have open in whatever order (note that
MDI allows subwindows to overlap, etc) the background of the MDI
window will hide other applications.

If you want to display multiple things without overlapping, like Emacs
does, what you need is a tile function in your window manager.  That
would let you tile _anything_ rather than only documents associated
with a given application.


-- 
Alan Shutko <ats@acm.org> - By consent of the corrupted
If you stand on your head, you will get footprints in your hair.