I hate MDI

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From: peter (Peter da Silva)
Subject: I hate MDI
Date: 12:57 on 03 Sep 2003
I hate MDI. But... it never occurred to me that Microsoft might
screw up whatever little value MDI has... until now...

> Don't get me started. Here's a nice example of Windows applications in
> action:
> http://www.jshift.com/services/design/horrors/taskbar_abuse.asp

To me, each thing in the task bar is a *document*. I hate MDI. I
hate the whole "single-instance" nature of Windows. Windows is so
relentlessly 'there is a single instance of an application, a single
instance of a user' that they had to invent a whole extra "session"
layer that digs its filthy fingers deep into the OS to make each
session act like a separate virtual machine to allow multiple user
sessions.

And then Jobs had to bloody well copy that on Mac OS X, when Mac
OS X (being UNIX) already has a better way of dealing with multiple
users.

[remainder of subrant deleted to spare the Internet from my filthy
language]

I've seen that pseudo-MDI-ha-ha-fooled-you behaviour before. Acrobat
Reader on UNIX does the same thing, without the courtesy of giving
you a hint that closing the last window won't close the last window
but turn it into an "empty MDI". I think that they're trying to
emulate Apple's "close-isn't-exit" behaviour.

But I had no idea how far Microsoft was willing to go in search of suck:

Thank god I've never had to use access:

	"Unfortuntely, MS decided to treat each object as a
	 document and give it its own slot in the taskbar."

Jesus Harold Christ on a pogo stick. That picture has so much
suckage I'm completely blown away. Whatever drugs those people were
on when they created MULTIPLE taskbar slots for a single objects...
Windows, Just Say No.

But, anyway, MDI sucks. The only program I like using MDI in is
Notes because I don't *care* about Notes: it's an obstacle, not a
tool, so hiding it all off in a single window is great. Otherwise,
MDI is just a way to make virtual desktops annoying so Microsoft
has an excuse not to implement them.

There's a useful subset to MDI: tabbed windows. That makes the "new
window or new subwindow" choice mine, not the application's.

http://www.jshift.com/services/design/honors/mdi_browsers.asp

Oh god, I wish Opera did tabs rather than MDI.

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