Why do windows, on Macs or on PCs, not have a little button that locks them open? Clicking the lock-open button would mean that any subsequent attempt to close the window prompted an "are you sure?" message.
I know that most software won't let you close a window with unsaved changes, without a prompt. But I am thinking of, for example, a web browser where I would appreciate a prompt only for certain windows that I really don't want to close inadvertently.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 01 2013 Switch to Google Chrome. The “Reopen Closed Tab” function is a godsend. Even works if you accidentally close a group of tabs in the same window.-- ytk, Oct 01 2013 [+] Just be sure not to put the lock button right next to the X.-- scad mientist, Oct 01 2013 //“Reopen Closed Tab”//
Aha!
(I had a better comment, but sadly closed the window by mistake.)-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 01 2013 Hmm, tape or white-out:
Or make an program that is "always on top" and put it over the X button. Now make that program monitor the position of the window it is on top of so if you drag the active window, the "always on top" window move accordingly to continue blocking the X.-- scad mientist, Oct 02 2013 Messy. To be useful, this would have to be in the operating system.
Which reminds me of another context where I'd like this: I'll often be shuffling files around a set of folders, and would like not to inadvertently close a finder window (or whatever the equivalent is on a godforsaken Window's system). A "lock open" button on every open window - whether belonging to a program or to the OS, would solve this.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 02 2013 I can inambiguously state that I value close buttons of all shapes, sizes and colours. All I ask out of life (apart from the money, cars, houses etc etc) is that I should be able to lock a window open, against nonadvertent closure.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 02 2013 What if you accidentally unlock it?-- tatterdemalion, Oct 03 2013 Talking to Gates will be hard to do ...Jobs even harder.-- popbottle, Oct 03 2013 //What if you accidentally unlock it?//
Then that is unfortunate. I'm not asking a lot here. All I want is to be able to say "Listen, if I close this particular, special window that I really like, just ask me to make sure, okay?"
It's not much. It shouldn't be obtrusive, because OSs are overfeatured and underused as it is. Just a wee buttonette at the top right of every window, which I can ignore if I so choose. Or, if you don't like your windows to have furniture, make it a keyboard shortcut. Whatever.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 03 2013 ////What if you accidentally unlock it?////
//Then that is unfortunate. I'm not asking a lot here. All I want is to be able to say "Listen, if I close this particular, special window that I really like, just ask me to make sure, okay?"//
Well it seems to me that there are obvious two possibilities. One is to make it so it can't be unlocked - you're just committed to an "are you sure" dialogue. The other is that you could have the option to lock the lock button recursively. These could stack up along the title bar.-- Loris, Oct 03 2013 //You want MORE of them?//
[21Q], I will explain this again for the hard of thinking.
If I don't use this feature, the window behaves exactly as normal. I can open it, I can close it, I can close it accidentally, I can make a cup of tea while I decide whether to close it or not. In short - life goes on very much as usual.
If (please note the use of the word 'if') I find that I am often accidentally closing windows; and if (ditto) this vexes me; and if (reditto) I so wish; then I can click a little button on the top of the particular window or windows that I'm interested in. Having clicked that button, I will then be asked for confirmation before closing that particular window, or those particular windows.
In a free society, I am also at liberty to un-click the little button, or even to never click it in the first place. In which case, as has already been extensively, exhaustively and extrusively explained, my life continues very much unaffected.
Are we nearly there yet?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 03 2013 What if you forget to click the lock button and then accidentally close the window in its accidentally not-locked state?-- pocmloc, Oct 03 2013 I don't know. Ask [21Q].-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 03 2013 There needs to be a dialog box upon selecting the lock asking if you're sure you want to lock it, to prevent accidental locking.
Also on each app icon, a lock-closed option to prevent opening a window inadvertently.-- tatterdemalion, Oct 03 2013 random, halfbakery