James Aamodt Hart - 2003-08-05

I don't have an answer to this question, but I thought it should be well-posed and start discussion.

The question is simple:
Should every Relation have its own window and view or should they all be displayed on the same global window?

There seem to be advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

All the Relations in the same window will emphasize how they are grouped. If, as I want, we decide to organize Relations into Envelopes, this will underscore that all of them together form the same larger problem. It will be possible to drag-and-drop between different equations, substituting one into the other. It provides a built-in way to keep track of all the open Relations consistently.

On the other hand, multiple windows allow you to manipulate the display more directly. It cordons each equation off from each other. It may be easier for people to deal with on a practical level. However, it seems important to me to somehow still keep track of the open equations so as to display the entire Envelope somehow. This would require some sort of new tool or display to do this.

Any thoughts or questions on this subject would be appreciated.