So many windows to manage

[Oldsneekers]

Using 10.2.8 and FM 7 upgrade to 5 and updating a 24 file solution. With FM5 one layout = one window and hiding made window management easy. With FM7 there can be multiple windows. Instead of using hours to find the best way to keep windows from multiplying like rabbits in springtime when going from one layout to the next, I decided to come to the forum.

So far I discovered that I should make all my windows new at the opeing of a file, format to a "no access" layout, and hide them. When navigating the layouts and using the solution, I hide the current window and select the desired (previously hidden) window and format it for the appropriate size and layout. (If the the selected window name is not equal to the desired window name, my script will make a new window to cover the condition of inadvertent previous window closing by user.) One or two windows are selected without hiding the previous so as to look like pop up window. I tried creating new windows when navigating and closing when navigating out but somehow I still ended up multiple windows for the same layout after several back and forth navigations of the file layouts.

Is all this about right or are there other tricks of the trade? Considering the number of files and layouts per file (new entry, edit, view, list, find...) the number or hidden windows with the above approach can be large and is that OK?

As I am writing this now, I guess I can still use the close window when navigating to another layout or file, and instead of using make new window, first use select and if name not equal to desired, then create the new window. I haven't tried this but will keep the number of hidden windows to a minimum, i think.

Another issue is the white out when going from window to window not present with FP5, and no change whether freeze/refresh scripts are there or not. Any suggestions to fix this?

"It's never so bad that it couldn't get worse"

FileMaker Version: 7

Platform: Mac OS X Jaguar