On 27/07/2009, at 1:46 PM, David Blanton wrote:
I am the only Mac programmer where I work; the rest being windows.
I am constantly challenged to make Mac programs look like windows to
some extent.
Windows has an architecture called Multiple Document Interface.
Each doc opened is displayed in the same window 'frame' with a row
of tab controls at the top to select a document.
A Cocoa Document-Based App is one document one window ... multiple
windows.
How do I win the battle of 'too many windows floatin' around on the
Mac, we want everything in one window like windows!" ?
MDI is a travesty of UI design. Just one example - drag and drop
between windows in different MDI apps is quite frankly, virtually
unusable, where it is even attempted at all.
The Mac's approach is much better (i.e. more usable), though when
there are a lot of windows it can appear confusing to some. However,
system features such as Exposé were designed to help overcome the
problem of finding a particular window among a lot of clutter and it
works well. Spaces is also useful for managing windows among several
apps working together in particular ways.
The people who are asking you to do this are misguided. If they want
to make Mac apps, they should not be thinking about replicating the
Windows version on the Mac, but instead fitting in with the way all
other Mac apps work. Mac users are notoriously unforgiving of apps
that don't work the "right" way, and apps that are an obvious Windows
port do less well in terms of sales and user satisfaction, and in many
cases will not be used unless there is absolutely no alternative. The
same goes for Java apps to some extent. However I know how hard it can
be to get those of a pointy-haired disposition to understand this
argument, so you might have an uphill battle. Who matters more - the
end user, or the people in the company who think a unified product is
easier to handle? (even if in reality it's probably not).
Even if they cannot or will not be re-educated, you don't have much
choice anyway - the Mac does not support MDI in the Windows sense and
faking it would be a huge effort that would be more than entirely
wasted - the app will sell less well and be reviewed poorly.
--Graham
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