Multiple Document Interface

E828342

Multiple Document Interface is a graphical user interface design that allows a single application window to contain and manage multiple child document windows simultaneously.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Multiple Document Interface canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf graphical user interface design pattern ⓘ
window management model ⓘ
abbreviation MDI ⓘ
advantage easy comparison of multiple documents side by side ⓘ
shared menus and toolbars reduce UI duplication ⓘ
allows single parent window to contain multiple child document windows ⓘ
category software architecture pattern ⓘ
user interface design ⓘ
contrastsWith Single Document Interface ⓘ
tabbed document interface ⓘ
disadvantage can confuse users about which window has focus ⓘ
can create cluttered parent window ⓘ
less consistent with modern OS-level window management ⓘ
enables centralized window management ⓘ
menu and toolbar sharing across child windows ⓘ
exampleApplication Adobe Photoshop (older versions) ⓘ
linked to: Adobe Photoshop

Borland Delphi IDE ⓘ
Visual Studio (older versions) ⓘ
linked to: Visual Studio

older versions of Microsoft Excel ⓘ
older versions of Microsoft Word ⓘ
featureOf desktop applications ⓘ
hasComponent child windows ⓘ
parent window ⓘ
hasDesignGoal manage multiple related documents in a single application frame ⓘ
historicallyPopularIn 1990s desktop software ⓘ
implementedIn .NET Windows Forms ⓘ
linked to: Windows Forms

MFC (Microsoft Foundation Class Library) ⓘ
Win32 API ⓘ
manages lifecycle of child document windows ⓘ
relatedConcept Single Document Interface ⓘ
document-centric application ⓘ
tabbed document interface ⓘ
workspace window ⓘ
requires message routing between parent and child windows ⓘ
supports child window activation and deactivation events ⓘ
child window minimization and maximization ⓘ
child window resizing within parent ⓘ
overlapping child windows ⓘ
simultaneous display of multiple documents ⓘ
window cascading within parent window ⓘ
window tiling within parent window ⓘ
trend largely replaced by tabbed interfaces in many applications ⓘ
typicalUseCase comparing or referencing multiple documents at once ⓘ
editing several files in one application instance ⓘ
usedIn Microsoft Windows applications ⓘ
linked to: Windows

graphics and CAD applications ⓘ
integrated development environments ⓘ
productivity software ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Microsoft Foundation Classes → supports → Multiple Document Interface ⓘ