Graham Lauder wrote:
<snip />
Actually Sean is talking about something entirely different than and
separate from the whole tabbed interface/MDI thing. I agree with
him and have thought about this quite a lot for over a year. It is
a function that is lacking in most document producing applications.
This is the way I believe it should be implemented and the whys
Producing a document at a desk with a pen and paper is not a linear
activity, however doing the same thing on a computer forces you to
become linear.
What I think Sean is talking about is analogous to a note pad and a
deskpad that you can scribble on while you are producing a
document. Programmers tend to be linear thinkers, it comes with
the territory. However a script writer for instance has a myriad
of things to think about while writing a screenplay. Lighting
notes, costume stuff, continuity notes, properties, direction
detail, characterisation, character histories. Some of this will
make it into the main document. Some will become a separate bunch
of notes, some will become appendices. None of it lends itself to
a linear document production.
So a document interface could have a group of tab-like labels down
the side of the page. Analogous to those little page markers that
I and I dare say many others use to mark pages or passages in a
book for use during a lecture.
The function would be able to be toggled on and off like Stylist and
have probably two default labels. Say "Notes" and "Bibliography"
with the ability to add more as required.
Part of the functionality would enable the user to define where if
anywhere these pages would be placed within a printed document.
Linking to notes from the main document should also be there.
The only name I could think of for this functionality is Deskpad
I've cc'd this to the User Experience list
([EMAIL PROTECTED]) (forgive the cross post) because this
is right up their alley. If people think is a reasonable
suggestion I'll do an RFE.
I couldn't find anything like this anywhere in issue tracker... That
doesn't mean to say it's not there.
But it would be a brilliant piece of functionality. It would
certainly save me having to have notebooks all over my desk and my
deskpads would survive longer. :)
Cheers
GL
That sounds like a cracking idea to me! You seem to have "grokked" the
way most people's brains work, even if their word processor doesn't
allow them to...
I'd certainly encourage this kind of feature development.
Alan
--
The way out is open!
http://www.theopensourcerer.com
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