Tabs Studio Blog (organizing Visual Studio document tabs)

I’ve added the Online help button to the Tabs Studio Settings dialog. Clicking this button opens documentation for the selected tab:

Online help button in Tabs Studio settings

For a long time the close tab button was implemented as an image. The image had the mouse over glow effect, but no pressed state. The close tab button image also allowed accidental activation on the mouse left button up event without corresponding mouse left button down. I’ve resolved both of these shortcomings finally implementing the close tab button as System.Windows.Controls.Button:

Mouse over the new close tab button

<Style x:Key="DefaultCloseTabButtonStyle" TargetType="TabsStudio:CloseTabButton">
    <Setter Property="Margin" Value="2,0,-4,0"/>
    <Setter Property="VerticalAlignment" Value="Top"/>
    <Setter Property="HorizontalAlignment" Value="Right"/>
    <Setter Property="Focusable" Value="False"/>
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="TabsStudio:CloseTabButton">
                <ControlTemplate.Resources>
                    <Style TargetType="Image">
                        <Setter Property="Stretch" Value="None"/>
                    </Style>
                </ControlTemplate.Resources>
                <Grid>
<Image Name="Normal"    Source="pack://application:,,,/TabsStudio;component/close_tab_button_normal.png"/>
<Image Name="Pressed"   Source="pack://application:,,,/TabsStudio;component/close_tab_button_pressed.png"   
 Visibility="Collapsed"/>
<Image Name="MouseOver" Source="pack://application:,,,/TabsStudio;component/close_tab_button_mouse_over.png"
 Visibility="Collapsed"/>
                </Grid>
                <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    <Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="True">
                        <Setter TargetName="Normal" Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed"/>
                        <Setter TargetName="MouseOver" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                    </Trigger>
                    <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
                        <Setter TargetName="Normal" Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed"/>
                        <Setter TargetName="Pressed" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible"/>
                        <Setter TargetName="MouseOver" Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed"/>
                    </Trigger>
                </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Style.Triggers>
        <Trigger Property="IsTabSelected" Value="False">
            <Setter Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed"/>
        </Trigger>
    </Style.Triggers>
</Style>

Tabs Studio v1.6.4 is released – improved floating tab group support and added experimental support for Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.

I’ve resolved main problems with the floating tab group found in v1.6.3 – the main Visual Studio window can be resized just fine now and different number of toolbars doesn’t corrupt window size. Closing the floating tab group window now correctly closes all tabs in the detached tab group.

Performing an action in the main Visual Studio window from the floating tab group window often requires two mouse clicks (one click to activate main Visual Studio window and one click to perform an action). Menu and toolbar commands don’t work on documents in floating tab group. Floating tab group is supported only if you have exactly two tab groups opened. Floating tab group is not currently supported for Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1.

To give some impression what is possible and what is problematic supporting floating tab groups I’m releasing an early alpha showing what I have now.

Prerequisites

Visual Studio 2008 and Tabs Studio v1.6.3.

How to create a floating tab group

1. Make sure exactly two tab groups (horizontal or vertical) are opened.
2. Decide for yourself what tab group you want to detach.
3. Resize main Visual Studio window for tab group that remains.
4. Select tab group that you want to detach and invoke TabsStudio.Connect.DetachTabGroup aka Detach Tab Group command.

Floating tab group window is created that you can freely move and resize:

Floating tab group window and main Visual Studio window

Limitations of floating tab group window usage

1. Can’t resize main Visual Studio window.
2. Can’t easily switch to main Visual Studio window – in most cases you need to switch to the tab group in main Visual Studio window first.
3. Can’t close floating tab group window – close whole Visual Studio instead.
4. Can’t switch between windows that have different number of toolbars associated with them.

Feel free to try it for yourself.

I’m experimenting with detachable tab groups in Tabs Studio. It’s extremely brittle and limited, but some things work:

Two standard vertical tab groups in Visual Studio 2008

New floating tab group window and main Visual Studio 2008 window

What do you think about the floating tab groups in Visual Studio 2008 idea?