Full-time maximized window.

[nitinmalapalli]

Hello all,

I'm designing a windows app with MFC whose main frame window cannot be resized or dragged. The window is initialized to be maximized and remains so throughout it's use, refusing to be resized. It can be minimized to taskbar and restored. In essence, the app's window is full-time maximized.

The question is, would the average user find this type of design very inflexible? Would such design be frowned upon by the authorities of good design?

[ovidiucucu]

The question is, would the average user find this type of design very inflexible?

Just ask the average user.

[Eri523]

The question is, would the average user find this type of design very inflexible? Would such design be frowned upon by the authorities of good design?

Probably. Unless, perhaps, it's a game.

[S_M_A]

Frankly, I hate applications that block normal Windows functionality. I don't even tolerate games that do that. I've so many times encountered demos of very nice games where for instance alt-tab is blocked or where it's impossible to run them in windowed mode. Do you think I've bought any of those games?

[D_Drmmr]

The question is, would the average user find this type of design very inflexible? Would such design be frowned upon by the authorities of good design?

I'd say the question is why do you want to have this functionality? If there's a good reason for this, then the question becomes: is it good for you or for the user? If there's no good reason then don't do it. Too many people try to make their application 'special' by making it different from other applications. Or they add some weird feature that they really love. All that really does is make the application hard to use.

You should aim for your application to behave like most users would expect it to behave. Most of the time that means behave like most other programs, but special circumstances can call for a special approach.