Author Topic: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?  (Read 16004 times)

skywise

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How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« on: April 24, 2013, 08:50:49 PM »
I'm not a fan of fixed windows.

iwilliamson

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2013, 09:05:37 PM »
Me either!

Is there a way to do this?  For me, this is a show stopper.  I absolutely HATE fixed window editors - does everyone have to be like Eclipse?

Ian

[Edit:  More information]
« Last Edit: May 24, 2013, 09:22:01 PM by iwilliamson »

machish

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2013, 01:33:46 AM »
Clark says 'Next beta will allow you to float edit windows...'
(Source: http://community.slickedit.com/index.php/topic,9130.0.html )

-martin

iwilliamson

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2013, 04:46:00 PM »
I just had a look at the released demo and while it does let you float windows all over your desktop, it is NOT MDI.  I think it's completely silly to have removed the "normal" way a LOT of people edit.

I hate these "ultimatum" comments, but I'm just stating a simple fact for myself --  but unless I can edit like I have FOR YEARS, I'll stick with version 17 or go find another editor. 

Sorry.

Graeme

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2013, 05:12:35 PM »
I don't get it.  What is meant by "fixed windows"?  What is your definition of MDI?  You're not forced to drag a window outside the main slickedit window?  Can you try and explain more about what the problem is?

iwilliamson

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2013, 05:20:34 PM »
Is there a way to get windows to act like they did in version 17?  Multiple overlapping windows inside the main SlickEdit window.  This is what MDI is.  The only way I can find to see multiple files at once (for, say, doing a quick visual comparison) is to drag one of the tabs outside the main SlickEdit window.

Think, restored edit windows, not maximized.

Does that make more sense?

Graeme

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2013, 05:39:57 PM »
Do you have multiple files per window or one file per window selected.

You don't have to drag a tab *outside* the main window  - just drag it a little bit and it will mostly sit on top of the main window  - is a non-maximised state.  If you right click on a tab and select "float" it will create a smaller window than what you probably get with drag.  You can also see multiple files simultaneously using split vertical or split horizontal or new tab group.  There's also Window -> tile.  You can't cascade or tile floating windows any more though.  The ability to drag an edit window outside the main editor window is a big plus for me.

iwilliamson

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2013, 05:53:23 PM »
I completely understand what you're saying and I can see how some people would like the way it now works.  It's just not the way I work.  Of course, I COULD get used to anything, but if I don't HAVE to, I won't.

It's really not a huge deal, I just won't upgrade and everything stays the same.  (:

I'm just surprised they would take that away and still call it an MDI editor.  It's not.

machish

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2013, 06:30:57 PM »
There are some discussions about other points in the other thread: http://community.slickedit.com/index.php/topic,9130.0.html
I still have a dislike for tabbed documents. I think of tabbed documents to be like Windows 1.0 that didn't allow you to have overlapped windows (disclaimer: I've never used Windows 1.0). I also (almost) never maximize windows.
The problem I have with floating windows that can be placed anywhere is that they'll always be on 'top' of the main window, and that's where I have my Symbol Preview window, References, Defs, Output, and some other windows that I want to be able to read. And the floating windows block them.

-martin

Graeme

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2013, 03:37:39 AM »
I completely understand what you're saying and I can see how some people would like the way it now works.  It's just not the way I work.  Of course, I COULD get used to anything, but if I don't HAVE to, I won't.

It's really not a huge deal, I just won't upgrade and everything stays the same.  (:

I'm just surprised they would take that away and still call it an MDI editor.  It's not.

ok, I don't care if you upgrade or not but I'd like to understand what you don't like or what you used to be able to do that you can't do now, and what skywise meant by "fixed windows".

Graeme

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Re: How do you get back to "normal" MDI?
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2013, 03:51:19 AM »
The problem I have with floating windows that can be placed anywhere is that they'll always be on 'top' of the main window, and that's where I have my Symbol Preview window, References, Defs, Output, and some other windows that I want to be able to read. And the floating windows block them.
But the fact that they can be placed anywhere is not a disadvantage, it's a feature that you can choose to use or not  - why do you see it as a problem?  You can still have two floating windows side by side within the main window  -  except that now if the floating window extends outside the main "mdi" area a little bit it hides toolbars etc instead of being "chopped off" like MDI does.  Is that what the problem is?  If so, I wouldn't be surprised if you could write a macro that resizes windows to stop that.