IDE: Default window size?

[wornways]

Hello,

I'm a new user of Visual Studio 2008. While I am a fan of Tabbed Browsing, I am in no way a fan of Tabbed Programming, so I have my "Window Layout" set to "Multiple Documents".

However, I have been horrified to find that the default window size for any form or module opened is about 9/10ths of the work space. When I resize the window and close it, it opens back up again to 9/10ths of the work space. This is going to very seriously impact my work flow.

There has to be some kind of mistake. I've looked for a way to set the default window size, but to no avail. I've searched the web for 3rd party plugins that would let me have more control over the IDE, but also to no avail.

Is there some way to set the default window size in Visual Studio 2008? It would seem remarkably amateurish to not provide this extremely basic functionality.

[NickThissen]

I don't see that behavior, the windows maximize themselves when I open them.

Also, I'm just interested, why do you not like tabbed documents? That's one of the better IDE features in my opinion. Just so you know: you can still view them side by side; just drag a tab somewhere else and you can create tabs side by side or above/below each other.

[wornways]

Hi Nick,

I imagine your windows open maximized because you're window layout is set to Tabbed Layout. This, or your last window opened was maximized, so VS is remembering this and opening subsequent windows maximized. Odd that VS would remember to do that and not remember what the size and position of that window was.

Are you familiar with the concept of visual chunks of information? Well, the brain can only hold onto about three chunks of visual information at a time. This means different things for different people, but in general a single statement like "i = 0" can be thought of as a single chunk. The way humans get around this natural limitation is to write notes and reference them. The way computers make this much easier is to allow more information to be reference-able at any given time--without having to convert such information into temporary notes.

I find that MDI programming is superior over tabbed interface programming toward this purpose by allowing for more information to be viewed simultaneously. Windows can be arranged in any way you want so that cross-referencing on the fly is more easily accomplished, without having to hide what you're looking at in order to look at something else. Tabbed browsing allows you to look at--on average--no more than two documents at the same time. This is because by the time you add a third tab group, you're view space is becoming so compressed as to become unusable. The MDI environment, on the other hand, lets you move windows around and overlap only those portions that are not of immediate interest--and with absolute ease. In this way you can view well over 6 documents simultaneously in a functional manner. Mix this with using Cnt+Tab to switch window focus, and you're work-flow can become extremely efficient.

Tabbed interface programming is really just the result of wanting to do something different, and not the result of any insight or attempt to improve the IDE. It's purely window dressing that is the result of wanting to do something different by succumbing to the latest fad in interface "design", or "theory", or whatever you want to believe it is--and that's all it is. Nothing has been improved. In fact, tabbed interface programming is a rather alarming regression from the accomplishments of MDI programming.

I'm sure that VS Studio doesn't choose the default size arbitrarily for its windows. It has to be set somewhere. If I can find where it's set, then I think should be able to change that setting.

[techgnome]

Not sure what it is... I opened 4 files, I changed my option to MDI... tiled horizontally so I had one in each corner.... closed the project and re-opened it.... for some reason it maximized the code windows for me. When I restored the first one, they snapped back to their position.

As a side note... not everyone works the same... I tend to prefer fewer chunks, but larger... when I have to work form home, I go nutters because I have to work on a single screen... at half the size of my monitors at work. I'd prefer to see the whole sub if I can... or as much of it as I can. If it means I have to flip back and forth between two tabbed docs, that's fine... gives my ADD brain something to work with. When I work in an MDI environment, it gives me too many visual targets and I get lost easily.

Point is, yeah, something is whacked, and I think the MDI options in VS might be half-baked. I wish I knew what to tell you. Mine came out maximized (which isn't what I was expecting.)

-tg

[NickThissen]

Of course I wasn't using the tabbed layout, what else would I have been testing?

And if you feel you are more functional using MDI windows then by all means. I was merely interested why. I don't really understand your argument though; tabbed windows are no smaller than MDI windows, so you can fit the same windows onto one screen in both layouts. Sure, you can overlap MDI windows, but as soon as you select one, it jumps to the front, which is extremely irritating to me if I have overlapping windows. And you can use Ctrl+Tab in tabbed layout too.
And like most programmers I use two screens so I can comfortably fit up to 4 documents side by side. I have never needed more than 2 by the way.

Each his own preference I guess

[techgnome]

Nick try again... hear me out... because I didn't realize it didn't work the same - with tabbed, you can create multiple tab groups.... but only in one direction.... horzontal or verticle.... with MDI, you can tile... so there is some validity in the claim. worn's problem though (and yeah, I can see why it's a problem) is that after arranging the windows to his liking, CLOSING DOWN VS .... re-opening it, and then the project... the document windows are not restored to their previous location or size.


Worn... are you using any kind of source control? is it possible that the suo (a file which holds user-level solution settings, including open files) is read only? and so when VS closes down, it's not properly recording window size/position?

-tg

[wornways]

Worn... are you using any kind of source control? is it possible that the suo (a file which holds user-level solution settings, including open files) is read only? and so when VS closes down, it's not properly recording window size/position?

-tg

Hi TG,

No source control as of yet. The SUO file is readable and owned by me. No problem there. This behavior is exactly the same between two different computers, with two different installations of VS 2008 from two different source DVDs.

I'm wondering if the default window size might be set somewhere in the registry. MS has gone mad with establishing every possible miscellaneous setting using the registry, so maybe it's there. Any ideas on how I might investigate this avenue of thought?

Also, is there any such thing as a SUO viewer/editor? Maybe if I can browse what settings exist in the SUO, I might find the magic setting there somewhere.