Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!ncar!tank!ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
From: ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: New (?) idea for MF menu bar icon
Message-ID: <2725@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 14 Apr 89 18:35:03 GMT
Sender: news@tank.uchicago.edu
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Organization: University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
Lines: 39

In article <171@wuee1.wustl.edu>, jtw@wuee1.wustl.edu (Trent Wohlschlaeger) writes...

[stuff from other folks about putting menu bars in windows]

>Another opposing opinion:
> 
>This is not a BAD idea, if your application has a MAIN window.
>I consulted on an application for which this was not the case.
> 
>If the application doesn't have a MAIN window, 
>who decides which window gets the menubar?  The programmer?  The user?
>What if the menubar is on an inactive window?  More activateWindow glue?  
>Move the menu to the active window?  I hope not.
>This would seem to me to be most confusing.
> 
>I guess I just don't feel that this is a workable concept
>for applications with multiple windows.


I heartily agree.  

One other problem with having menu bars in windows themselves is that windows
are resizable.  What if you need to access a menu in a slightly (or very much)
shrunken window?  Do you have to first enlarge the window so that you can
access the menu?  What a pain.  I guess one could somehow have scrolling
menubars, but that doesn't seem such a great idea.

As an example: people are complaining at times that there isn't enough room on
the _screen_ for all their menus in MPW.  If menus were moved to windows, it
would be that much more cramped.

I think we need to see some better solution for menus in general, but putting
them in the windows themselves is probably not the answer.

Robert
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ra_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu
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generic disclaimer: all my opinions are mine