Multiple windows & road map question

[wordmuse]

One of the requests that gets made in this forum every so often is that URP have the ability to show multiple windows on-screen at the same time, thus enabling such activities as having a window as a reference while I do work in another window.

The road map calls for Two Data Explorer panes. And there is no other item in the road map that would seem to indicate a multiple-window capability. Is this intended to be responsive to the request for multiple windows?

In any event, I have some additional thoughts regarding this suggested feature...

One of the great things about URP is the meta-data that can provide deep context for any item. This is done through the Attributes, the Related, and the Notes panes. Of course, this adds to potentials for visual clutter, so changes to the interface likely have to be done with great care, which Kinook obviously does with aplomb.

Adding multiple windows, each with their own meta-data panes could obviously increase visual clutter to a degree users would likely not find useful. Yet many of us really do want multiple windows. So what to do?

I would suggest the following: Create a multiple windows mode. When in this mode, all meta-data panes are forced into autohide mode. And they relate to the item that has the focus.

Alternatively, hide all the meta-data panes entirely and let me call them up with a right-click inside a window as a dialog that goes away when done.

My standard disclaimer applies. I have no idea how difficult such an effort would be, nor how many users would really benefit from this. If I am the only one, it hardly makes sense. But if there are quite a few of us, perhaps it could be put on the road map?

- Bal