36:
101:
513:). An IDE-style interface is distinguishable from the Multiple-Document Interface (MDI), because all child windows in an IDE-style interface are enhanced with added functionality not ordinarily available in MDI applications. Because of this, IDE-style applications can be considered a functional superset and descendant of MDI applications.
469:: Combination of MDI and TDI (a true MDI interface with a tab bar for quick access). Special "Full size" windows act like maximized windows, but allow smaller overlapping windows to be used at the same time. Multiple instances of Vedit can be started, which allows it to be used like an SDI application.
626:
MacOS and its GUI are document-centric instead of window-centric or application-centric. Every document window is an object with which the user can work. The menu bar changes to reflect whatever application the front window belongs to. Application windows can be hidden and manipulated as a group, and
325:: MDI. A user can open multiple instances of WP with a single document in each, if they have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on their computer. Recent versions maintain a list of open documents for a given window on the status bar at the bottom of the window, providing a variant of the TDI.
550:
A common convention for child windows in IDE-style applications is the ability to collapse child windows, either when inactive, or when specified by the user. Child windows that are collapsed will conform to one of the four outer boundaries of the parent window, with some kind of label or indicator
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Many window managers have built-in support for manipulating groups of separate windows, which is typically more flexible than MDI in that windows can be grouped and ungrouped arbitrarily. A typical policy is to group automatically windows that belong to the same application. This arguably makes MDI
156:
MDI can be confusing if it has a lack of information about the currently opened windows. In MDI applications, the application developer must provide a way to switch between documents or view a list of open windows, and the user might have to use an application-specific menu ("window list" or
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applications from SDI to MDI mode and then back to SDI, although the degree of implementation varies from one component to another. SDI can be more useful in cases where users switch more often between separate applications than among the windows of one application.
165:
displays the currently opened windows. In recent years it has become increasingly common for MDI applications to use "tabs" to display the currently opened windows. An interface in which tabs are used to manage open documents is referred to as a
417:, thus exposing to shell individual SDI instances, while the operating system recognizes it as a single instance of an MDI application. In Word 2000, this was the only interface available, but 2002 and later offer MDI as an option.
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In contrast to (MDI) applications, which ordinarily allow a single tabbed interface for the parent window, applications with an IDE-style interface allow tabs for organizing one or more subpanes of the parent window.
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Controls and hotkeys learned for the MDI application may not apply to others, whereas with an advanced Window
Manager, more behavior and user preference settings are shared across client applications on the same
275:, for example, which allows tabs/child windows to be dragged outside of the parent window to start their own parent window. In other cases, each child window is also a parent window, forming a new, "virtual" MDI
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applications, requiring users to learn two subtly different windowing concepts. Similarly, the MDI parent window behaves like the desktop in many respects, but has enough differences to confuse some users.
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community, there has been much debate about whether the multiple-document or single-document interface is preferable. Software companies have used both interfaces with mixed responses. For example,
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MDI can make it more difficult to work with several applications at once, by restricting the ways in which windows from multiple applications can be arranged together without obscuring each other.
414:
233:
is shared between all child windows, reducing clutter and increasing efficient use of screen space. This argument is less relevant on an operating system which uses a common menu bar.
403:
2003: SDI if you start new instances of the application, but MDI if you click the "File ? New" menu (but child windows optionally appear on the OS taskbar). SDI only as of 2013.
680:
258:
Without an MDI frame window, floating toolbars from one application can clutter the workspace of other applications, potentially confusing users with the jumble of interfaces.
493:: MDI under Windows. In newer versions, toolbars can move outside the frame window. Child windows can be outside the frame unless they are minimized or maximized.
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in which multiple windows reside under a single parent window. Such systems often allow child windows to embed other windows inside them as well, creating complex
65:
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cannot be spanned by children of the MDI. However, in some cases, this is solvable by initiating another parent window; this is the case in
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Can be tricky to implement on desktops using multiple monitors as the parent window may need to span two or more monitors, hiding sections.
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17:
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Some applications allow the user to switch between these modes at their choosing, depending on personal preference or the task at hand.
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something similar) to switch between open documents. This is different from SDI applications where the window manager's
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the user may switch between applications (i.e., groups of windows) or between individual windows, automatically hiding
504:
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Authors of cross-platform applications can provide their users with consistent application behaviour between platforms.
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If the windowing environment and OS lack good window management, the application author can implement it themselves.
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319:-only); SDI default in 8.0 (configurable to MDI); SDI only in 9.0; MDI (with a tabbed interface) in version 2015.
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for
Windows: a hybrid interface; TDI unless document windows are un-maximized. (They are maximized by default.)
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337:: SDI with floating windows (MDI is available as an option called "Single-Window Mode" since version 2.8
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509:(IDE) are those whose child windows reside under a single parent window (usually with the exception of
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421:(which Office is loosely based on) supports this metaphor since version 7.0, as a new feature in
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toolkits to date provide at least one solution for designing MDIs. A notable exception was
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Modularity: An advanced window manager can be upgraded independently of the applications.
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463:: Combination of MDI and TDI (a true MDI interface with a tab bar for quick access).
451:: Combination of MDI and TDI (a true MDI interface with a tab bar for quick access).
410:
149:
631:, and most programs will stay running even with no open windows. Indeed, prior to
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An application's child windows can be hidden/shown/minimized/maximized as a whole.
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Features such as "Tile" and "Cascade" can be implemented for the child windows.
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683:- a user interface pattern used with single-document or IDE-style interfaces
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378:, with a simplified SDI but sharing many of Kate's features via a mutual
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Deeply nested, branching hierarchies of child windows can be confusing.
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The shared menu might change, which may cause confusion to some users.
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or windows, which make it easier to prevent content from overlapping.
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MDI forms in .net using C# and Visual Studio 2010 Express
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In spite of this, some unusual applications breaking the
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Examples of enhanced child-window functionality include:
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which serves as a container for individual frames (class
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GUI splitters to resize sub-panes of the parent window
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redundant by providing a solution to the same problem.
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of GIMP aiming to be more like Adobe
Photoshop. The
287:MDI child windows behave differently from those in
132:) where all windows are independent of each other.
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104:An example of a multiple-document interface layout
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740:
391:, with advanced features and a sophisticated MDI
57:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
481:development environment: a typical modern MDI
475:: MDI or TDI with "Window" menu, but not both
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225:With multiple-document interfaces (and also
188:until the advent of tabbed window groups in
487:: MDI by default, can also work on SDI mode
532:Independent sub-panes of the parent window
136:Comparison with single-document interface
88:Learn how and when to remove this message
502:Graphical computer applications with an
216:lacks any standardized support for MDI.
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555:Tabbed document interface for sub-panes
551:that allows them to be expanded again.
374:: Another text editor designed for the
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14:
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27:Type of software application interface
415:Multiple Top-Level Windows Interface
29:
200:, for instance, provides the class
170:" (TDI). Another option is "tiled"
24:
676:Integrated development environment
25:
770:
720:
661:Comparison of document interfaces
646:) do exhibit different behavior.
445:and many other text editors: TDI
331:: Options for either SDI or MDI.
252:
34:
387:: Text editor designed for the
564:IDE-style application examples
13:
1:
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681:Center stage (user interface)
617:when in MDI mode (see above).
362:: Combination of MDI and TDI.
219:
699:. Laxmi Publications. 2005.
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431:: TDI by default, can be SDI
419:Microsoft Foundation Classes
229:), a single menu bar and/or
7:
649:
413:97. After 2000, Word has a
368:: a typical SDI application
110:multiple-document interface
18:Multiple document interface
10:
775:
696:Human Computer Interaction
640:human interface guidelines
425:2002. SDI only as of 2013.
227:tabbed document interfaces
209:javax.swing.JInternalFrame
126:single-document interfaces
754:User interface techniques
749:Graphical user interfaces
666:Tabbed document interface
546:Collapsible child windows
527:Tabbed document interface
523:Collapsible child windows
315:: MDI until version 7.0 (
289:single-document interface
168:tabbed document interface
656:Graphical user interface
389:KDE Software Compilation
376:KDE Software Compilation
354:version has limited MDI.
203:javax.swing.JDesktopPane
182:graphical user interface
118:graphical user interface
43:This article includes a
727:Interface Hall of Shame
541:for window arrangements
72:more precise citations.
520:Dockable child windows
457:: Thumbnail-based, TDI
124:. This contrasts with
105:
729:arguments against MDI
671:Tiling window manager
103:
307:Application examples
498:IDE-style interface
366:Internet Explorer 6
759:Document interface
733:MDI forms using C#
595:Visual Studio Code
590:Visual Studio .NET
473:Visual Studio .NET
122:nested hierarchies
106:
45:list of references
706:978-81-7008-795-3
395:Macromedia Studio
323:Corel Wordperfect
190:MacOS High Sierra
186:Apple's Cocoa API
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16:(Redirected from
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507:-style interface
411:Microsoft Office
409:2003: MDI until
265:Virtual desktops
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710:. Retrieved
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163:task manager
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148:changed its
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64:Please help
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539:Persistence
180:Nearly all
78:August 2024
70:introducing
743:Categories
712:2022-07-18
688:References
600:RSS Bandit
220:Advantages
644:Photoshop
622:Macintosh
461:UltraEdit
455:Paint.NET
435:Notepad++
146:Microsoft
142:usability
650:See also
633:Mac OS X
629:palettes
570:NetBeans
443:TextMate
380:back end
344:GIMPshop
329:EmEditor
159:task bar
580:Eclipse
429:Firefox
352:Windows
317:Windows
231:toolbar
140:In the
116:) is a
66:improve
703:
610:MATLAB
372:KWrite
360:Chrome
302:system
273:Chrome
192:. The
150:Office
605:JEdit
575:dBASE
467:VEDIT
449:Opera
439:PSPad
269:Opera
198:Swing
172:panes
51:, or
701:ISBN
485:mIRC
385:Kate
348:fork
346:: A
335:GIMP
271:and
194:Java
505:IDE
214:GTK
212:).
161:or
130:SDI
114:MDI
745::
441:,
437:,
340:).
108:A
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715:.
278:.
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