Re: [Usability] HIG and MDI/SDI/Tabs

[Calum Benson <Calum Benson Sun COM>]

On Sun, 2003-08-31 at 00:51, Mike wrote:
> Following a discussion on epiphany, I've just realised that the HIG
> mandates against the use of tabs/MDI

Although it's not currently very clear, the HIG is really only advising
against the hard-coding of such window management policies into the
applications... the hope is that one day, window managers will let the
user choose between multi-document models  (MDI, tabs, multiple top
level windows, anything else that's invented in the meantime) for any
particular application.  

The question then, I guess, is whether in the meantime it's better to
recommend something that would probably cause apps to need a fairly
major rewrite when such window managers come along, or something that
gives consistency now at the cost of some (perceived) sub-optimal
usability for some apps.

Cheeri,
Calum.

-- 
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson sun com            GNOME Desktop Group
http://ie.sun.com                      +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems