[TxMt] Tabbed Interface Observations

[Edmundo Ortega]

This issue is dear to my heart and has been discussed both in this  
list and on the wiki:

http://macromates.com/wiki/pmwiki?n=Suggestions.TabsVersusPullDownMenu

I think that the last sensible conclusion was that there are two  
kinds of users:

1. The kind that close tabs when they are done with them.
2. The kind that don't.

If you are 1) then you don't currently have a problem.

If you are 2) (like me) then there you will have issues with the  
current tab bar. I think the point of the tab bar is to keep a  
manageable number of files within easy reach. This typically means  
that you're working on a small subset of your project (e.g. one that  
fits in the tab bar). What's the point of having tabs if you have 50  
of them? That's what the project drawer is for.

One thing that somebody in the list suggested was to make adding new  
tabs an option (like safari). This way, when you click on a project  
in the drawer, you would have your first tab be that file. If you  
click on another file, then that file will occupy that first tab.

If you have some special key (SHIFT-OPT-Click or something) then you  
can add the file as a tab. This is very similar to how Safari  
behaves. Safari doesn't automatically add every page you look at into  
a new tab, but allows you to decide which pages you want in a new  
tab. The first tab is reserved for the current non-tabbed page.

I think that Allan has this slated for version 3.4 or something. I've  
let it go, and since I'm not organized to close tabs after myself, I  
pretty much just don't use the tab bar anymore - relying instead on  
cmd-T and the project drawer.

Your suggestion could fit into this scheme and are certainly worthy  
of discussion.

Ed



On Oct 15, 2005, at 1:35 PM, Eric Knapp wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I would like to start a discussion on the tabbed interface in  
> project windows. I have some issues that I would like to point out  
> and I will offer my opinions. However, I really just want to see  
> what the TM community thinks about these things.
>
> When a project window has lots of open files and there is not  
> enough room to fit tabs across the top of the window a arrow  
> appears next to the tabs. When you click on the arrow you are given  
> a list of those files that do NOT have a tab. You can then click on  
> one of those files to bring it to the front. But, then the front  
> file does not show its tab. You can see what file you are working  
> on by looking at the title bar but I think this is confusing.
>
> The interface is combining a list interface with a tabbed interface  
> and I think this could be improved. The first suggestion I have is  
> to have all open files in the list and always show the arrow. You  
> could have the files that have visible tabs be in bold. There are  
> times when I just don't see an open tab and click on the arrow only  
> to also not find the file there.
>
> The next suggestion is to have the tabs scroll and always show the  
> currently forward file's tab. I don't mean to add a scroll bar,  
> just that the tabs could shift over when a file is selected from  
> the arrow list.
>
> Does anyone else find that this behavior could be improved? Are  
> there other suggestions? Has this discussion already occurred? If  
> so then many apologies.
>
> -Eric
>
>
>
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