? MDI depreciated

[SPE - Stani's Python Editor]

Hi Len,

The preference of most users is quite platform related:
- Mac users are the most pronounced, they like SDI (single document
interface), where there is one frame for every document
- Most linux users like something between MDI and SDI: a tabbed
interface, like firefox, where there is one frame for all documents,
although some of them also like SDI
- On windows still a lot of users like MDI, where there is one frame
for all documents, even though it is officially deprecated.

This is general, but a lot of users have their own preferences. So it's
easy to have a debate about this issue. There are a lot of cross-overs:
some like a tabbed Windows MDI, some like tabs in the Mac SDI (every
frame one window, but you can navigate through them with tabs), ... So
except from the Mac there is no new, official UI model AFAIK.

Another difference is that Windows prefer toolbars and Mac prefers tool
Palettes. So all this doesn't make developping a serious cross-platform
program an easy task.

What you choose is dependent of your target OS and your own interface
'ethics'. If you are a Windows user and want to learn more about Mac
interface, this is a good starting point:
http://developer.apple.com/ue/index.html
Also have a look at widely used cross-platform programs like Photoshop
or any application similar to the one you want to develop.

With SPE I opted for a kameleon interface. It's still unstable & under
development as a wxPython module (smdi.py), but it should make it
possible to develop cross-platform applications without the author
having to worry to choose a document interface. The user can simply
select his preference in the options dialog box.

The smdi.py module is included with SPE as _spe/sm/wxp/smdi.py. It is
designed independent from SPE, so you could use it for any application.
However as it is unstable and will soon go through a lot of
development, I wouldn't recommend it, unless you are experienced with
wxPython and would like to contribute to its development. I expect to
have it really stable in the beginning of next year. I think it would
be a major step if a module can handle all the worries of the design of
a document interface as this can be treated independently from the
application.

If you want to see some screenshots of SPE in different DI's:
http://pythonide.stani.be/screenshots

Good luck!

Stani
--
SPE - Stani's Python Editor
http://pythonide.stani.be
http://pythonide.stani.be/manual/html/manual.html