Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:14404 comp.windows.misc:388
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!tekcrl!eirik
From: eirik@tekcrl.TEK.COM (Eirik Fuller)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: Useability, Das, Trashcans, etc.
Message-ID: <2451@tekcrl.TEK.COM>
Date: 24 Mar 88 22:07:41 GMT
References: <2956@whutt.UUCP> <7004@drutx.ATT.COM>
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 37
Summary: Why can't I iconify application windows?

In article <7004@drutx.ATT.COM> clive@drutx.ATT.COM (Clive Steward) writes:
>From article <2956@whutt.UUCP>, by mls@whutt.UUCP (SIEMON):
>
>> I like having desk accessories stick around, but then I find that they are 
>> almost always buried underneath the active window....
>
>Really, the answer here is probably usage habits, at least it's worked out that way
>for me, after a bit of thought (and forgetting about Switcher!).
>
> ... [a suggestion to use zooming] ...

This makes me wonder why the close box (upper left on a typical window)
doesn't work the same way in applications as in Finder (iconify
windows).  The answer is simple but outdated:  Finder and applications
are two different Macintosh modes.  The reason the answer is outdated?
In Multifinder, you don't really want to leave the Finder mode.  Finder
windows can bury the trash can; application windows can bury the trash
can; but finder windows are far easier to temporarily move out of the
way.  When you can have all your windows on the screen at the same
time, there are benefits to having them behave alike when possible.

None of this provides a really good excuse for not having a "bury"
menu item, something other window managers tend to have.  Even
smalltalk almost has one (actually, I added one to Tek smalltalk; it
wasn't hard; don't tell me about "under", that wasn't what I wanted).

Speaking of smalltalk, all of its windows (for the properly chosen
meaning of the word "all", i.e. of course I can contradict this if I
want to, but applications tend not to) can be collapsed.

All this makes me wonder why collapsing application windows would be
a bad idea.  Hmmm, someone might get sued if it wasn't there all
along :-)

Seriously, the reason it would be a bad idea is because it was done
wrong in the first place and it's too late to fix it.  I hate reasons
like that.