Re: How can i write multiple windows(MDI)

[Michael L Torrie <torriem chem byu edu>]

On Tue, 2007-07-03 at 18:31 +0100, Robert Pearce wrote:

> Cases where the child windows are not separate documents, but separate
> parts of a single entity. Yes, you can do something like this with
> multiple separate top-level windows, but then you have to rely on the
> window manager to recreate the user's chosen layout, which isn't so
> certain, and in any case it places the wrong emphasis on the GUI.

I agree that having lots of independent, top-level windows can be a
problem in cases like this.  But windows within windows aren't the
answer.  Invariably users maximize the child windows mainly because in
most cases (Visual Studio was a prime example), the real estate left for
child windows was so little after the toolbars and docks were in place,
that there just isn't enough space to manipulate little mini windows.
So no one that I know of actually uses MDI in a way that indicates MDI
is actually useful.  So in almost all cases where you'd be tempted to
implement MDI with windows in windows, why not use tabs to switch
between documents?  Visual Studio went there, eclipse went there, etc.
I wouldn't at all be surprised to see LabView do that too.  

> 
> For some examples of the sort of product I'm thinking of, look at "ATI
> Vision" from Accurate Technologies, or "INCA" from ETAS, or "LabView"
> from National Instruments (though the last is less obvious).
> 
I maintain they could have done the interface without MDI child windows,
perhaps using a tabbed document area, and we'd all be so much better
off.