RE: Newbie interface questions - multiple "modal" windows
RE: Newbie interface questions - multiple "modal" windows
- Subject: RE: Newbie interface questions - multiple "modal" windows
- From: "Matthew Youney" <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:30:43 -0400
- Importance: Normal
Jens, Graham, List,
First, a bit of background :
Yes, I am coming from multiple other platforms (ms c++; ms.net, national
instruments CVI, multiple industrial HMI/SCADA, Kiel for proprietary
embedded, etc, etc.). We write machine control applications for a variety
of industries. www.youney.com The applications that I am speaking of are
not your typical desktop applications, and are not designed as such. There
are very specific hardware, software, and safety reasons why our GUIs are
laid out the way that they are. I do not mean to be closed minded, and I do
realize that there is always a better solution, and strongly believe in
constant improvement.
The screens in out operator interfaces have to be mutually exclusive for a
number of reasons. Configuration in one area cannot be altered unless
configuration in another area has been completed. Product configuration
cannot be taking place while a machine is running production, etc.
This certainly can be easily done using a tab control. The downside is that
the entire NIB is loaded at once, adversely affecting performance/resources.
This is not the end of the world, however I am starting with a "clean slate"
here, and I want to design the best app possible, as well as learn and
implement Cocoa's best practices early on.
I greatly appreciate the experience, wisdom, and expertise of the pros on
this list. Much of this lists traffic is at a very high level of expertise,
and I am somewhat embarrassed with my rudimentary questions.
Thanks to all,
Matt
-----Original Message-----
From: Graham Cox [mailto:email@hidden]
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 9:36 PM
To: Jens Alfke
Cc: Matthew Youney; Cocoa
Subject: Re: Newbie interface questions - multiple "modal" windows
On 17 Jun 2008, at 10:39 am, Jens Alfke wrote:
>> I would think that this is a common application architecture (it is
>> to me)
>
> You may be coming from another platform? I can't think of any Mac
> apps that do this, and frankly, I wouldn't want to use one that did.
It does sort of sound like a wizard or agent type interface, where
each "step" is completed one at a time, like the Installer or Apple
Setup Assistant. If so, those might be a better model, where there is
one window and a forward/backward button? I may have misunderstood
however - it certainly does sound like a terrible UI if each one *has*
to be in a separate window. Modal hell.
Graham
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