[HIG] Re: [Usability]Question on Multiple Document Interfaces

[Bart Kelsey <kelsey 14 osu edu>]

Calum Benson wrote:

> Presumably a window manager of the type we're talking about here could
> offer real MDI just as 'easily' as the Workbook or SDI models I
> mentioned before :)
>
> Cheeri,
> Calum.

The MDI-enabled window manager is certainly an interesting idea...  How would it work in practice, though?  IE, would the tabs be, say, above the contents of the window, but below the title bar?  And would it be at all useful for applications that weren't specifically written for it, or would these apps have to be specifically built for this window manager?

The problem I'm seeing with that is that a window manager is very limiting interms of where you can put the MDI tabs.  You really can't alter the actual contents of the window, which means they have to be outside it somewhere ... yet, most of us who like using tabbed interfaces are used to the tabs being below the menu and toolbars, but above the document.

Bart