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Window (computing)

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

A window is a special part of a computer screen.

Window (windowing system)
Window (windowing system)

It is a visual area that shows what a program is doing. Most windows are shaped like rectangles. They can overlap with other windows on the screen. This helps you see many things at once. Computers use a "desktop metaphor" to organize these windows. This makes the screen feel like a real desk where you work.

Window border in the compositing and stacking window managers
Window border in the compositing and stacking window managers

Windows work by showing information in a specific space. The main part is the working area. This is where you see your document or an image. Around this area, there is a window decoration. This decoration is a frame drawn by the computer. It usually has a title bar at the top. The title bar shows the name of the program or file.

Titlebar
Titlebar

You can use a pointer to move or resize the window. Many windows also have buttons to close or hide them.

People have been developing this idea for a long time. The idea started at the Stanford Research Institute. A leader there named Douglas Engelbart helped start it. Later, research moved to the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. This place is often called PARC. A leader there named Alan Kay worked on the idea too. They created windows that could overlap each other. This made using computers much more natural for people.

During the 1980s, a new term was created at PARC. It is called WIMP. This stands for window, icon, menu, and pointer.

Text windowing in GNU Emacs
Text windowing in GNU Emacs

Apple used these ideas for their Lisa and Macintosh computers. Microsoft also worked on its own windowing system. Some people think Microsoft saw Apple's design while making Windows. Today, different systems use different names. For example, the GNU Emacs program calls its areas windows. Other systems call them frames.

Windows help you connect with your computer easily. You can use buttons to maximize a window to fill the screen. You can also minimize a window to hide it away. Some windows have extra parts called panes or panels. These show you more options or information. Some windows even have drawers that slide out from the side. Even text-only displays can use windows to show different files. This makes it much easier to manage many tasks at once.

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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Text windowing in GNU Emacs.png
Text windowing in GNU Emacs.png
File:Window (windowing system).svg
Window (windowing system).svg
File:Window border in the compositing and stacking window managers.png
Window border in the compositing and...
File:Titlebar.png
Titlebar.png
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