[Sigia-l] Multiple Browser Windows in Applications

[Listera]

"Shelley Goodwin" wrote:

> I'm looking for something along the lines of "it's best not to do it, but
> if you have to, here's the best way to go about, here are some use cases,
> tests, etc..."

I really don't think you should start with the presumption that "it's best
not to do it..." It's very difficult to talk about this in the abstract.
Stuff I've seen in the past consider it in isolation, for general purpose
web browsing, often by inexperienced users, and not in the context of a
(goal-oriented) web *application*. Can multiple windows confuse users? You
bet. So can bad navigation in a single window!

Separate the issue into its key components: ease of use for the users and
ease of development for the developers. Don't confuse the two. Users use
multiple windows *all the time* on desktop apps. Desktop (or client/server)
apps have to keep window state, too. It's just that this issue is handled
transparently, without much fuss. There *are* ways to come up with
frameworks to handle state, back button, browser caching, duplicate windows,
intra-window messaging, etc., via server-side and JavaScript/client-side
methods. It may take somewhat longer to code these, but that's a
technical/resource issue, rather than a user-experience impediment.

Sometimes two windows are just better than one :-)

Best,

Ziya