Topic: If you split a window horizontally, you end up with...

[goodguy]

Sometimes little things drive me crazy. I just spend almost two hours (that's another movie I didn't watch) researching GUI terminology, because my own stance on this is at odds with the usage of these terms in some major products. Of course, I didn't find a conclusive answer, so I just thought to share the fun.

My own answer is (spoiler):

(click to show/hide)

Left and right pane, because you move the split bar on the horizontal axis.

If you choose the other option, feel free to add an explanation.

[DJ Doena]

I chose top and botton, because a horizontal split means a splitline from left to right (horizontal) and that means it results in a top and bottom pane.

PS: Excel agrees with me. Open two empty sheets and chose Window -> Arrange -> Horizontal

[goodguy]

PS: Excel agrees with me. Open two empty sheets and chose Window -> Arrange -> Horizontal

I know. But now write and run a little Excel VBA macro like this:
Sub Test()
  ActiveWindow.SplitHorizontal = 100
End Sub

 

[Touti]

I agree with Karsten.  Your split bar is horizontal so it has to be top and bottom, regardless of the axis on which it moves.

[Najemikon]

I agree with Karsten.  Your split bar is horizontal so it has to be top and bottom, regardless of the axis on which it moves.

Yes, that's the common sense answer, but I can see what Microsoft mean because it's from a coding perspective.

The line is horizontal, which means it can only move up and down.

The line is vertical, which means it can only move from side to side.

Therefore in the perverse world of programming, it is actually easier to think in terms of where you want the bar, not what shape it is.

You think this is bad, just ask Microsoft what day it is!  (they have a radical approach to the how many weeks are in a particular month; and I can't remember exactly what now, but there was something very odd about the way VBA calculated time... )

[goodguy]

I agree with Karsten.  Your split bar is horizontal so it has to be top and bottom, regardless of the axis on which it moves.

Yes, that's the common sense answer, but I can see what Microsoft mean because it's from a coding perspective.

I did the poll on the other forum as well. Someone nailed the contradicting view points as looking at the process versus looking at the results. If I look at the process of splitting along the horizontal axis, I end up with top and bottom parts. If I look at the resulting panes, left to right panes are created from a split that occurs on the horizontal axis.

And as I also explained there:
If you don't use a menu command to split a window, but the little spacer or grip on the scrollbar (assuming the program has such a feature), then, to get top and bottom parts, you have to drag the spacer on the vertical scroll bar. To get left and right parts, you have to drag the spacer on the horizontal scroll bar (I hope we agree that the vertical scrollbar is the one at the right side, while the horizontal scrollbar is the one at the bottom).

BTW, Microsoft mostly uses your kind of "common sense" in their terminology - which always confused me, since I'm a result-oriented guy. Not until someone explained the "process" line of thinking to me, I was even able to understand where the majority was coming from.

[Najemikon]

I agree with Karsten.  Your split bar is horizontal so it has to be top and bottom, regardless of the axis on which it moves.

Yes, that's the common sense answer, but I can see what Microsoft mean because it's from a coding perspective.

I did the poll on the other forum as well. Someone nailed the contradicting view points as looking at the process versus looking at the results.

That's the phrase I was trying to remember! It's not a bad line for any budding programmer to think of because it comes up in all sorts of subtle ways.

[Achim]

Obviously (?) I also voted for the result being a top and a bottom pane.

I had to read the explanation for the other line of thinking 2-3 times to understand where that's coming from...

[goodguy]

Obviously (?) I also voted for the result being a top and a bottom pane.

Well, at least I'm feeling like a very special person now...

[Najemikon]

Obviously (?) I also voted for the result being a top and a bottom pane.

Well, at least I'm feeling like a very special person now...

"Special", maybe, but your new avatar is freaking me out! 

[goodguy]

"Special", maybe, but your new avatar is freaking me out! 

  Aww, that's sad. For the first time, I wanted to join the "guys with a girl avatar" club.

BTW, it's from the best animated feature of 2008.
Not that I'm really qualified to make such a bold statement, but still...

[Najemikon]

"Special", maybe, but your new avatar is freaking me out! 

  Aww, that's sad. For the first time, I wanted to join the "guys with a girl avatar" club.

BTW, it's from the best animated feature of 2008.
Not that I'm really qualified to make such a bold statement, but still...

It's only freaking me out, because it couldn't be more different to the old one! I tended to think that was actually you...  But abyway, onto to the new one, I don't remember seeing her in WALL.E...   

[goodguy]

But abyway, onto to the new one, I don't remember seeing her in WALL.E...   

Yeah, well, Anne Hathaway wasn't in The Dark Knight either. So stop watching the wrong movies. 

[DVDsRGreat]

Top and bottom panes for me too. My head was thinking along the other line. Even as a programmer I've never come across a horizontal split that could be left-right 

[Achim]

Yeah, well, Anne Hathaway wasn't in The Dark Knight either. So stop watching the wrong movies. 

Great response.

But, ...what film is it from really?