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Types of Windows

As a developer or a designer, you should be aware of four main types of windows. Although their behavior is generally the same, they have important differences.

• Document windows contain file-based user data. They present a view into the content that people create and store. If the document is larger than the window, the window shows a portion of the document’s contents and provides users with the ability to scroll to other areas.

• Application windows are the main windows of applications that are not document-based. These windows use the standard Aqua window look and features; if the application is running in versions of Mac OS X prior to v10.5 (Leopard), these windows can use the optional brushed metal look.

• Panels float above other windows and provide tools or controls that users can work with while documents are open. In some cases, panels can be transparent. In end-user documentation, panels should be called windows. Panels are discussed in more detail in “Panels.”

• Dialogs and alerts require a response from the user. Dialogs and alerts are discussed in “Dialogs.”

Examples of all of these types of windows are shown in Figure 14-1.

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