I love Alpha software but sometimes I get a little bit frustrated when they start mixing common terminology terms. SDI has nothing to do with minimize or maximize buttons.
In an MDI application, more than one document or child window can be opened within a single parent window. This is common in applications such as spreadsheets or word processors.
An SDI application, in contrast, normally contains a single document view, that can contain minimize and maximize buttons and still lets a user do whatever he or she wants.
I have multiple SDI applications were some windows have minimized and maximum buttons and others do not, this is an especially true in browse forms were it is especially useful to have a user maximize the form.
I have attached samples files. See the differences between one and the other. I have found that writing TRUE SDI interfaces, also referred to as dirty interfaces because you have windows all over the place, is a lot more practical and easier to use them MDI. My opinion of course.
I use a tremendous amount of drag-and-drop in my applications and this is better supported in the SDI interface.
Has Alpha tries to attract more people to their software is good practice to keep with industry standards and not start mixing commonplace terminology. Another example of this is the modal and the non-modal forms which have nothing to do with data entry. It�s auto edit on or auto edit off, again common industry standards.
Confusing people by confusing terminology is NOT a good idea.
If you want to attract more users from Microsoft Access then give them what they already know. A button click not a button push. Is a button double click referred to as a button double push in Alpha?
I had this conversation with a one of Alpha's top users this past Saturday. People like to expand on knowledge they already know, not have to relearn what's common in the marketplace. I think Alpha would expand a lot further in the marketplace if they start sticking to normal and establish naming conventions.
RF � ARS Motorola
In an MDI application, more than one document or child window can be opened within a single parent window. This is common in applications such as spreadsheets or word processors.
An SDI application, in contrast, normally contains a single document view, that can contain minimize and maximize buttons and still lets a user do whatever he or she wants.
I have multiple SDI applications were some windows have minimized and maximum buttons and others do not, this is an especially true in browse forms were it is especially useful to have a user maximize the form.
I have attached samples files. See the differences between one and the other. I have found that writing TRUE SDI interfaces, also referred to as dirty interfaces because you have windows all over the place, is a lot more practical and easier to use them MDI. My opinion of course.
I use a tremendous amount of drag-and-drop in my applications and this is better supported in the SDI interface.
Has Alpha tries to attract more people to their software is good practice to keep with industry standards and not start mixing commonplace terminology. Another example of this is the modal and the non-modal forms which have nothing to do with data entry. It�s auto edit on or auto edit off, again common industry standards.
Confusing people by confusing terminology is NOT a good idea.
If you want to attract more users from Microsoft Access then give them what they already know. A button click not a button push. Is a button double click referred to as a button double push in Alpha?
I had this conversation with a one of Alpha's top users this past Saturday. People like to expand on knowledge they already know, not have to relearn what's common in the marketplace. I think Alpha would expand a lot further in the marketplace if they start sticking to normal and establish naming conventions.
RF � ARS Motorola
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