On Jan 23, 2010, at 8:59 PM, Mason Mark wrote: > On Jan 23, 2010, at 7:34 PM, Brent Simmons wrote: >> >> PS Should the code be written in a way that doesn't preclude this feature? >> My personal opinion: yes, since in this case that's just good architecture. > > The crux of my argument is just that supporting multiple viewers, on balance, > is better than limiting their number to only one. So if it could be done for > 1.0, great, and if not, then okay get it into some future version. > > But at the implementation level, one way isn't significantly harder than the > other. It'll be the same window controller and same handful of view > controllers, either way. As you point out, that code should be written to > work regardless of how many window/view instances are created, in any event. > > So if it's just a choice to make, and doesn't materially impact the coding > workload, why not consider the angles and just make that choice up front?
It *probably* doesn't impact the coding. But it's software -- everything is research. We don't know for sure. Every feature is a risk by definition. But let's assume it doesn't affect the coding. Then you have the testing burden. With just one main window, you have to test with 0 and 1 window open. If you allow multiple windows, you have to test with 0, 1, 2, and 3 windows open. Not *too* bad -- we can handle that. But we also have to test with *100* windows open. Because that's just what happens whenever you allow multiple of something. (There are people who have 20,000 tabs in my app. Whenever you allow multiples of something, there will be people who go far, far beyond whatever you expected.) There's a guy out there -- Artie McHEREALLYEXISTSSOMEWHERE -- who opens 20 windows in Mail.app. In each window he has selected a different mailbox. He cycles through using Expose or cmd-~ or the Window menu. And he's running on an older Mac, even though he keeps the OS upgraded. Doesn't have much RAM. So he tries it with Letters, and Letters keeps crashing on him, because it can't handle 20 main windows open at once on his machine. (Due to Murphy's Law, 50-50 chance he's also a prominent tech journalist who's writing a review of Letters.) -Brent _______________________________________________ [email protected] mailing list List help: http://lists.ranchero.com/listinfo.cgi/email-init-ranchero.com
