Re: [Jsynthlib-devel] Menu and toolbar question...

[Rib R. <ri...@gm...>]

On 2/28/06, Joe Emenaker <jo...@em...> wrote:
> In SDI mode, each library/scene frame gets its own menu and can also
> have its own toolbar. I've noticed a few things about this that raise
> some UI questions:
>
> 1 - All of the toolbars seem to be the same instance. If I have multiple
> libraries open with no patches selected in any of them, then the "cut"
> and "copy" toolbuttons are greyed. If I select a patch in one of the
> frames, the "cut" and "copy" toolbuttons are enabled on *all* of the
> windows. Do we want this to happen, or should each frame have its own
> toolbar that reflects the state of that frame?

I think each toolbar should reflect the frame which contains it.

> 2 - Same thing goes for menus. All frames seem to get a common menu...
> even the main app window (which would be the DesktopPane in MDI mode).
> This seems a little redundant. Would we want each library to get its own
> menu? Are there certain menu items which belong only in the context of a
> library/scene frame or in the context of the main app frame? For
> example, perhaps cut/copy/paste shouldn't be in the main app frame (only
> in library and scene frames) while the "Preferences..." item would be
> only available in the main app frame?

I'm not sure I follow here.  In MDI mode, only the DesktopPane has a
menu since it is the only window. As far as I remember, there is no
main app frame in SDI mode.  Instead, each window is supposed to be
independent.  Why should I have to switch to some other window in
order to open the preferences?

SDI was designed for Mac OS X, where MDI does not exist.  Apple's UI
standards require that menu items be disabled instead of removed for
windows where they don't apply.  This way the user always knows where
to find a command, and has several other benefits.