     Multiple-Document Interface
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     13.1  Introduction
     13.2  The Main Window
     13.3  The Child Window
     13.4  Moving Within the Interface


                         Multiple-Document Interface


13.1 Introduction


Some applications developed for Microsoft Windows may support the viewing
of multiple windows from within an application's main window. The windows
may provide different views of the same data or may contain different
documents or sets of data. Such applications should use a multiple-document
interface that allows the user to manage associated windows easily from the
main window.

An application with multiple windows should use child windows. The child
windows should be clipped so that they can reside inside the application's
main window.


13.2 The Main Window

The main window's Control menu affects the main window (window position and
size, for example). The main window's title bar contains the name of the
application, but no document name. The main window also contains the
application's menus. The menus may vary according to the type of document
the active child window contains. For example, if the user moves from a
child window that contains a spreadsheet document to a child window that
contains a chart document, spreadsheet-specific menus may be replaced with
chart-specific menus. The menus can be selected and menu items chosen
regardless of which of the application's windows is active.

The last entry on the menu bar is the Window menu. The commands in this
menu include any commands that are used to manage child windows and a list
of the different child-window names. The main window's name is also
included on the Window menu. The user can choose from the list of window
titles to select the next active window and bring it to the front.

Commands that are used to manage child windows should be placed as a group
in the Window menu before the list of window names and above a line separa-
tor. Such commands might include an Arrange command to organize the place-
ment and size of the child windows within the main window. The resulting
arrangement could be either overlapped or tiled, depending on the applica-
tion.

In some applications, commands that are specific to the main window may be
available only when that window is selected. Therefore, the main win-
dow's name is the first window title listed in the Window menu to make it
easy to select regardless of the number of child windows. Applications that
do not have commands that are specific to the main window may omit this
menu item.

Each window title on the Window menu is preceded by a digit that serves as
the menu item's mnemonic. This gives direct and consistent keyboard access
to all menu items regardless of the names of the child windows. The appli-
cation can use letters as the mnemonics if single-digit identifiers are
unavailable.


13.3 The Child Window

The title bar of each child window contains the name of the document and a
Control menu, but no other menus. If a single document is being viewed in
more than one child window, a number is appended to the document name to
distinguish between the windows, for example, SAMPLE.TXT:1 and
SAMPLE.TXT:2.

The active child window is differentiated from other child windows by a
change in the color or pattern of the title bar (in the same way that the
active main window is differentiated from other main windows). When the
application is active, the title bars of the main window and, if appropri-
ate, the selected child window give active indications.

Windows records the active child window when the user begins working with
another application. Switching back to the application by using ALT+ESCAPE
reactivates that child window as well as the main window.

The Control-menu box in the child window's title bar differs from the main
window's Control-menu box. A minus sign in the child window's Control-menu
box represents the key combination (ALT+MINUS) used to access the child
window's Control menu. The commands on the Control menu are the same for
both the child window and the main window. Any commands that are not
appropriate are disabled (grayed).

Child windows should use the following key combinations to access Control-
menu items:

  Key
                       Action

  CONTROL+F5     Invokes the Restore command.
  CONTROL+F7     Invokes the Move command.

  CONTROL+F8     Invokes the Size command.
  CONTROL+F9     Invokes the Minimize command.

  CONTROL+F10    Invokes the Maximize command.
  CONTROL+F4     Invokes the Close command.

The size and position of a child window are controlled by commands from the
child window's Control menu. These commands parallel functions provided in
the main window's Control menu; however, the size and movement of the
active child window are restricted to the size of the main window. Child
windows also can be moved and sized with the mouse just as main windows
can.

The Minimize command is usually disabled in a child window's Control menu,
but if the application can create an icon for its child windows, this com-
mand may be used. Icons that represent child windows are displayed within
the main window.

Choosing the Maximize command causes the document in the child window to
fill the main window. (Double-clicking the title bar of the child window is
a mouse shortcut for choosing the Maximize command.) The main window itself
does not change in size. The title bar of the child window slides under the
menu bar of the main window, and the caption of the main window changes to
include the name of the document. The child window's Control menu is placed
on the menu bar. (The main window's Control menu controls the operation of
the main window even when the child window is enlarged to its maximum
size.) The following illustration shows a maximized child window with its
Control menu displayed:

If the active child window is enlarged to its maximum size, switching to
another child window will automatically enlarge that window to its maximum
size. This allows the user to quickly flip through documents. An applica-
tion may choose to maximize the child window automatically as the default
if there is only one open child window, such as when the user starts the
application from the MS-DOS Executive window by using the document
filename. Documents that were subsequently opened would take on the state
of the active child window and, therefore, would be maximized if the previ-
ous working document were maximized.

Selecting the Restore command from the child window's Control menu restores
the child window to its original size and

The child window's Close command destroys the child window after dis-
playing a dialog box to confirm any required save operation for changes to
the file. Double-clicking the child window's Control-menu location among
the other child windows. box is a mouse shortcut for choosing the Close
command.


13.4 Moving Within the Interface

The following key assignments are recommended for moving within the
multiple-document interface:



Key                 Action

F6                  Selects the next active pane (a child win-
                    dow within a document window), moving clockwise.

SHIFT+F6            Selects the next active pane, moving counterclockwise.

CONTROL+F6          Selects the next active document window (a child window
                    within the main window), moving from front to back.

SHIFT+CONTROL+F6    Selects the next active document window, moving from
                    back to front.
