Dialog Windows to background

[Hoib]

I'd like to see if FM could send its own dialog windows to the background or to the task bar (I'm on Windows), like Manage Scripts, Manage Layouts when the user (me) clicks on a surface beneath them.  If Manage Scripts is open, I have to either minimize or dismiss to get to the layout beneath.  If I dismiss, then I have to either find Manage (X) and open it again or use a keyboard shortcut (creating an arthritic pain in my fingers :-) ) with the effect that it positions me at the top row forcing me to find where I left off. 

 

It would be nice to just click the layout or surface beneath and have Manage Scripts drop out on its own but wait to be called back in later on.

 

H

 

[Matthew F]

That is a bummer.  On the Mac platform it behaves as you suggest.  For example if you have ScriptManager open and click on a FM layout behind it, the layout will come to the foreground.  No need to minimize anything.

 

Filemaker also needs to liberate PC users from having all their FM layouts confined within a larger master Window.  It looks like something back in the day of Windows 3.5. 

[LaRetta]

Hi Hoib, I completely agree!  Send in the request!

 

I agree, Matthew, Windows windows are ugly.  Recently switching to Mac, I love the clean look and additional space provided (among many other things).  :-)

[Rick Whitelaw]

That's right. On a Mac the whole desktop is your playground. Never used Windows and am surprised that fm "windows" are constrained to master OS windows.

[LaRetta]

But hey, I am NOT taking a pot-shot at Windows.  There are in fact several things where Windows (in my mind) wins over Mac.  We are multi-platform so all is good. 

[Matthew F]

There are in fact several things where Windows (in my mind) wins over Mac.

LaRetta, are you referring specifically to Filemaker on Windows, or the Windows OS itself? I'm curious to know if there are other behaviors of FM on Windows that I don't know about. 

[LaRetta]

Hey, Matthew!  

 

I'm speaking the OS itself. 

 

I'm curious to know if there are other behaviors of FM on Windows that I don't know about. 

 

I cannot say if there are differences of which you are unaware.  In general I prefer the Mac platform having used Windows since version 1 and, when switching, I made that preference switch decision within the first month on a MBP so my opinion is clear.

 

But there are things about Mac I do not like but I prefer anyway.  Typical woman, eh?  Specifically, Replace Field Contents' Replace and Cancel buttons are backwards from Windows and it is correct that the Cancel is the default but it catches me every time.  

 

I can't think of the things at the moment - they are smaller things.  Oh, one is sorting in that Mac does not sort folders to the top.  Little things.

 

[Matthew F]

I cannot say if there are differences of which you are unaware.

Dang.  I thought you were a mindreader.     I was wondering about changes to Filemaker behavior across platforms.  

 

The other one that kills me is how resizing a page to a smaller % with Print Preview, or Page Setup will not allow more content to be printed on a page, but instead will show the same amount of content shrunken down into a corner of the page, as though it were cropped.  Maybe that's an OS level issue.  

 

I've been a long time user of TotalFinder (http://totalfinder.binaryage.com/) an OS plugin for the Mac that brought us tabbed browsers years before Mavericks.  It also allows folders to be sorted at the top of a finder window.  

 

--edit--   I meant to say, "tabbed Finder windows", not "tabbed browsers"

Edited January 30, 2014 by Matthew F

[LaRetta]

Hey!  Thanks for the TotalFinder link!

 

When you asked the question, I thought ... well we SHOULD have a single document which shows the differences between the platforms.  Of course Windows needs more field space in height but the biggest difference (other than windows around windows) is the way drop-down lists and pop-up menus respond.  They have changed from 11 to 12 to 13 because many of the 'behaviours' on both platforms were bugs and are now fixed (hopefully) and I  haven't tested them.    Maybe others know of a link to such a list; that'd be cool.

 

It was a very good question, Matthew.