From Windows User Interface Guidelines:
"*Note* MDI is an application-oriented model. Many new and intermediate
users find it difficult to learn to use MDI applications. Therefore, many
applications are switching to a document-oriented model. Therefore, you may
want to consider other models for your user interface. However, you can use
MDI for applications which do not easily fit into an existing model until a
more suitable model is introduced. "
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...rface/windowing/multipledocumentinterface.asp
The wording was even harsher back in 1995/1996 after Windows 95 came out.
They've since toned it down. Largely due to scores of developers ignoring
the guidelines and Microsoft's own inability to move some of their apps away
from it (Word moved away successfully.... Excel and PowerPoint "kinda sorta"
with "Windows in Taskbar" which employs a psuedo SDI over MDI).
Ask yourself what was the last major MS app you saw that employed MDI? MS
Access? Well, not really because it too has the "Windows in Taskbar" on by
default. And Access 12 (2007) will sport a TABBED MDI interface. MDI is a
horrible user interface..... but very easy for us developers to code
(because we're lazy). For apps that require it, TABBED MDI is the way to go
IMHO.
I find it totally irresponsible that MS hasn't included a control that
allows us to easily do it. I mean Visual Studio itself uses an internal
control called EZMDI that they haven't made available to us. I hate that.
--
-C. Moya
www.cmoya.com
Miro said:
Anyone else agree with c Moya?
I still like the way mdi forms look.
Miro
