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Bug 43938 - Can't open multiple editor windows in 3.6!
Summary: Can't open multiple editor windows in 3.6!
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: platform
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Window System (show other bugs)
Version: 3.x
Hardware: All All
: P1 blocker (vote)
Assignee: jrojcek
URL:
Keywords: UI
: 53828 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks: 50352
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Reported: 2004-05-27 16:38 UTC by bd
Modified: 2008-12-23 14:33 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Issue Type: ENHANCEMENT
Exception Reporter:


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Description bd 2004-05-27 16:38:59 UTC
There is no documented way to open multiple editor
windows in 3.6, at least not in 'separate windows
mode'

It appears that the functionality has been
dropped.  That seems impossible.  Multiple editor
windows is a VERY basic and essential capability
for any serious  IDE.  (Being able to split
windows is NOT an adequate substitute.)

Is anyone looking into this>

Thanks
Comment 1 Jan Lahoda 2004-05-28 09:24:34 UTC
The windows are handled by the windowing system residing under
core/windows.
Comment 2 David Simonek 2004-05-28 10:45:13 UTC
Yes, functionality is not available AFAIK in new window system, which
was designed according to specifications of UI experts.

Please provide exact use cases in which it is useful to have multiple
editor windows open. And please don't just make them up, instead
describe how you work and why are multiple visible editors so
essential to you, so that we get to know real reasons.

Personally, I as a coder am quite satisfied with one maximized editor,
jumping between source files using powerfull shortcuts like Shift+F4,
Alt+arrows, Ctrl+~, Alt+Shift+O. This is not to say that your opinion
is wrong, just to show that typical use cases for dirrefent users are
often various.

I'm passing this issue to UI group to hear your experiences and
suggestions.
Comment 3 deeptinker 2004-05-31 08:04:22 UTC
Let me take a shot at this.  Younger eyes and brains can look at a
class and capture all significant details, flip to another calling or
called class, and continue writing code or debugging without a
problem.  Those of us with older eyes and brains cannot do that as
easily.  We need to see both classes at the same time.  This is
especially true if I am debugging somebody else's convoluted,
un-intuitive code.  That is the main reason I have a second monitor.

Another reason I want this is so I can quickly change the calling
class to add the additional parameter that I just added to the called
class.  With the called class staring at me I can get the calling
sequence right the first time.

Besides, as the original reported noted, there is no *documented* way
to do this.  However, I can open most any other window under the
Window menu, then "redock" a source file in that window to get the
same effect.  It seems silly to not be able to do the same thing in a
straightforward way.

HTH,
Travis
Comment 4 _ ttran 2004-06-14 12:59:34 UTC
this indeed is not supported in 3.6 new windowing system.  There were
many issues made it difficult to improve the windowing system and
retain this feature at the same time.  Pure time and resource problem,
not intentional

We may come back and re-add this feature in some future release
Comment 5 njwhit 2004-07-19 01:22:28 UTC
My colleagues and I have also migrated to NB 3.6 from various 
flavours of sun one studio. Impressed with the improvements to say 
the least. 

HOWEVER loosing the multiple editor windows (ability to clone to a 
new editor as in sun one studio) is a major draw back. We all use 
dual monitors. The NB gui design is brilliant for single screens but 
it is as though no thought has been taken of multiple screens. They 
are so cheap these days you wouldn't go back after using more than 
one. It is good to be able to refer to different versions in 
separate window e.g different source versions, examples, xml config 
files (apache.commons.digester) etc. 

Without this we have also resorted to dragging the editor window 
across 2 screens but this gets in the way of other apps, browser and 
help pages etc. The divider can be set to the join of the two 
screens but then when you change the size of the editor this gets 
screwed up.

In Netbeens this is the one and only thing that is wrong every thing 
else is great.
Comment 6 Milos Kleint 2005-01-31 10:10:12 UTC
*** Issue 53828 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Comment 7 bd 2005-01-31 17:30:24 UTC
Is there ANY hope of this being resolved? I believe at one time
someone said it was on a list of changes for 4.*? I'm still using 3.5!
 That's
increasingly problematic, but using a single window is completely 
untenable.

Thanks
Comment 8 Paul Byrne 2005-01-31 17:39:57 UTC
I agree with all the users here, the removal of this feature is a huge
step backwards for those of us used to richer (ie 2 screen display
environments). Or when I want to make full use of the screen for
editors and remove the clutter of other toolbars, file selectors etc.
I get the distinct feeling that the UI focus of Netbeans is solely
focused on single screen windows XP users !
Comment 9 Milos Kleint 2005-02-01 07:03:19 UTC
it's not in the pipeline for 4.1, which is feature-freezed already. 
Comment 10 mikeskells 2005-11-25 11:06:04 UTC
This is still a problem in 5.0b2

It there any chance of getting this fixed

Dont NB developers have dual screens?

This is the sole issue that prevents we moving to the NB platform for the 
applications that we develop, and is a real pain for the developers using the 
IDE
Comment 11 David Simonek 2006-08-03 17:30:09 UTC
Implemented in main trunk, views and editors now can be dragged and dropped
outside of main window on second monitor.
Comment 12 Quality Engineering 2008-12-23 14:33:08 UTC
This issue had *1 votes* before move to platform component