Subject: Re: FAQ -- why the MSDI interface? (aka, no pagers please)
From: Tim LaDuca (tjl@141.com)
Date: Sat Aug 18 2001 - 20:27:18 CDT
On 18 Aug 2001 18:33:34 -0700, Paul Rohr wrote:
> At 09:04 PM 8/18/01 -0400, Tim LaDuca wrote:
> >On 18 Aug 2001 16:43:36 -0700, Paul Rohr wrote:
> >> Erp. In what widely-used SDI application does File / Close *not* have the
> >> exact same semantics as clicking the little X? And why aren't they in the
> >> User Interface Hall of Shame?
> >
> >:-) Microsoft Word. When you click File-> Close you are left with a
> >"document-less" window.
>
> I asked this elsewhere in the thread, but is there a **non-MDI** version of
> Word with this behavior? If so, two questions:
>
> 1. What version is it?
> 2. What does the UI look like when you File/Close the last open document?
Yes, I'm speaking of Word 2000(my memory is so short I don't remember
how Wod 97 or 95 behaved). Basically what happens after you file-close
the last document is your left with evrything but an actual document to
work on. Where a document would normally be you just have an empty
space. Personally I say why not just make use of that space and throw an
empty new document there. It's like a notebook-- after you're done with
one sheet, there's always another one there waiting for you if you need
it.
>
> It's obvious how to show that state on a Mac or in a true MDI app. The
> pesky question that remains is whether anyone's established a comparable UI
> convention for apps like AbiWord.
>
> >But most others behave like you say. To be
> >clear, I'm not arguing that AbiWord is not behaving like other SDI
> >programs, just that tying the File menu items to window operations just
> >doesn't make sense overall, but SDI basically forces you to do this.
> >Also to be fair, I am not a fan of the SDI interface, so I could
> >probably argue all day with the "SDI people". I'll stop now ;-)
>
> I know, you're an MDI fan. Gotcha. ;-)
>
> Paul
>
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