Window Controls

One of the most critical implementation differences involves window controls. When the Motif user presses the Window menu button in the upper left corner of the title bar, or the OPEN LOOK user presses the MENU button anywhere on the window background (including the header), a menu is displayed. The options offered under the two GUIs introduce a key contrast.

The Motif Window menu offers a choice of Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, Lower, and Close. The OPEN LOOK base Window menu offers Close, Full Size, Properties, Back, Refresh, and Quit. The two lists are fundamentally the same, but have very different effects.

In the OPEN LOOK user interface, the Close option minimizes (iconifies) the window, and Quit terminates the application.

In Motif, the Minimize option minimizes the window, and the Close option terminates the application. Many users familiar with the OPEN LOOK user interface have found themselves exiting a Motif program when their intent was to close its window to an icon.