Re: Mac OS X UI (cocoa-dev digest, Vol 1 #581 - 19 msgs)
Re: Mac OS X UI (cocoa-dev digest, Vol 1 #581 - 19 msgs)
- Subject: Re: Mac OS X UI (cocoa-dev digest, Vol 1 #581 - 19 msgs)
- From: Gary C Martin <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 00:09:40 +0100
Ondra,
Run TextEdit. Open two text windows. Activate the first of them
(whatever it
means). Open Find panel, and start entering text to its textfield. Now
- the Find panel is the key window (since it has the First Responder);
- the first document window is the main window, though (the one which
contains the current document, and to which the Find panel belongs to);
- the other document window (there might be, in principle, any number of
them) is just inactive: the panel does not belong to it, and won't
alter its
contents.
Hmmm, I'm just curious here... so you want the Key and the Main window
to be visually different?
When I follow the above, the inactive windows are shown with transparent
title bars as expected, the main window to be searched stays solid and
'active' while the key find panel also appears solid and 'active'. When
key, the Find panel will search which ever was the last selected window
(i.e a main window with a solid title appearance) allowing one Find
panel to be used to easily/clearly search successively through several
open documents with a few clicks. At least this is what's happening with
me under 10.0.3.
I can however see if you wanted key windows not necessarily as the
foremost window (as per some of your other UI suggestions) you could get
users quite visually confused*.
* Like currently when Mail v1.0 can't connect to the POP server and pops
an inactive alert window above all other windows while not changing it
to key focus and you end up messing with you hidden document before you
realize you have to stop key tapping and start mousing for the 'ok'
button.
Regards,
Gary