Multiple document application with tabbed view.

Question

I'd like to write an application that is like the mdi in that it has multiple documents, but I want them to stay maximized. I'd like to switch between them with tabs. Do i really want to use the mdi? I get the idea that I'd be better off with a standard JFrame and a tab panel in the CENTER of a borderlayout.
Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I see that part of my problem is terminology. The term for exposing new windows is cascading. It is possible to tell a document's window controllers to cascade its windows when initializing an NSDocument subclass like this:
- (void) windowControllerDidLoadNib:(NSWindowController *) aController
[super windowControllerDidLoadNib: aController];
NSArray* myDocWindowControllers = [self windowControllers];
int numControllers = [myDocWindowControllers count];
unsigned int controllerNumber = 0;
while(controllerNumber < numControllers){
NSWindowController* theWindowController = [myDocWindowControllers objectAtIndex: controllerNumber];
[theWindowController setShouldCascadeWindows: YES];
controllerNumber ++;
}