Close (X) button on File tab

[stevemidgley]

The open files tab system in TextPad is great. It would be even better if there were a small "x" or some icon next to each file name in each respective tab that allowed you to close the file by clicking on it. FireFox 2.0 has this system (as does Eclipse). Each tab has a close marker on that tab (so you don't have to go to the far right side of the screen to click the "x") - just a thought for improving an already fantastic product.

[jktorres]

I agree. This would be helpful, as the tabs don't respond to double clicks, and they lack a context menu to allow closing them. The ability to close the window should be right near (or on) the tab itself.

[stevemidgley]

I agree. This would be helpful, as the tabs don't respond to double clicks, and they lack a context menu to allow closing them. The ability to close the window should be right near (or on) the tab itself.

Thanks for the vote of support on this feature - in your post, you mentioned a lack of context menu, but I think if you look you'll find in the latest version of Textpad that each tab does have a context menu - so you can right click on a file tab and the first option is "close."

[tacke]

Hi there,
Keep'it simple, check out mouse gestures and you will LOVE these tools. You can have this close (after you map to CRTL+W in textpad) with a minimal mouse gestures.
Check out: http://www.tcbmi.com/strokeit/ and http://www.autohotkey.com/ . You will discover another world and stop wanted all king of "images/icons" "killing" your eyes.

[jasonh]

I totally agree that TextPad should have the close button on the tab itself -- in fact I registered for a forum account just so I could say so. Firefox now does it this way. So does IE7. TextPad ought to do it, no question.

[loz]

I agree, but I would like much more to being able to close a tab by middle clicking it (clicking with the middle mouse button/wheel). This is the behaviour in IE7, Visual Studio 2005, Fiefox etc...

[dak]

Absolutely! Bring it on! I have become so used to this in Firefox, that I naturally send my cursor to the tab to close it.

As regards the middle click option: go ahead and implement that too, if you like, but not all computers have a middle button, for example, I'm typing this on a Compaq nc6400, and I only have touchpad and two mouse buttons. There is no scroll wheel or middle button.

Cheers,

dak

[zridling]

I'd much rather this be a customizable (configuration) option rather than the norm. I use AutoHotkey to simply close document tabs, or why not redefine the ESC key to close the tab? The X would take up too much room.

[MudGuard]

I'd much rather this be a customizable (configuration) option rather than the norm. I use AutoHotkey to simply close document tabs, or why not redefine the ESC key to close the tab? The X would take up too much room.

AutoHotKey? Why not simply press Ctrl-W which is the default shortcut to close a window/tab in textpad?
And if you want ESC to be the shortcut, go to Configure / Preferences / Keyboard, select "File" in the "Categories" box and "FileClose" in the "Command" box, then set whatever key you want.

[devdanke]

I would like it very much if tabs had an X to make them easier to close. Some people prefer a visual approach rather than having to remember yet another keyboard shortcut, which tend to differ greatly between different applications.

Adding an X to tabs adds little clutter and no complexity to the GUI. X's have been used to close windows and tabs in all modern GUIs for years.

For those who don't like an X on the tab, then make it a configuration choice of whether or not an X will display. Firefox 1.x had this kind of configuration choice.

Firefox also uses another technique to keep the GUI clean. It only shows an X on the current document's tab and on other tabs only when you mouse over them.

P.S. I want to vote in this poll, but I see no link on the page to let me vote, even when I'm logged in. It seems too soon for this poll to have expired. Hmmmm.

[dkalata]

I am also getting used to programs that use the "X" on the tab, but like the earlier post, I think it adds too much room when you have a screen full of tabs (documents) open.

I would much prefer that this be a *customizable* option (like Firefox) so that the "X" can be placed on the tab itself, the end of the tab bar (right side as it is currently when viewing document tabs) or have it displayed at the top right corner regardless of where the document tabs are displayed.

What I mean by the last item is that with version 5.x, the "X" to close the tab, when document tabs are visible, is to the right of the tabs. Whether the tabs are on the top or bottom, the "X" is to the right of the tabs. This takes some getting used to as I prefer the document tabs on the bottom. If I don't show document tabs, the "X" goes to the top-right of the application window which is the standard place for this button (and the place I prefer regardless of my preference to view document tabs).

So, I would prefer to be given the option to display the "X" in the standard window location regardless of my document tab viewing preference, have the "X" placed to the right of the tabs (as is the case now when viewing the document tabs) or to have the "X" placed on the tab itself.

Can we get all 3 choices???

[denniswoodruff]

I have registered just to be able to vote on this point. When moving from IE/Firefox/Visual Studio, I am forever trying to middle click on the tabs. Failing this I look for the X at the right of the tab. Then I remember I am using TextPad and resort to mousing over to right, or context switching to keyboard.

I love TextPad and convert others wherever I work, but please make our lives easier.

Thanks

[dnavarro]

I have registered just to be able to vote on this point. When moving from IE/Firefox/Visual Studio, I am forever trying to middle click on the tabs. Failing this I look for the X at the right of the tab. Then I remember I am using TextPad and resort to mousing over to right, or context switching to keyboard.

I love TextPad and convert others wherever I work, but please make our lives easier.

Thanks

Ditto! Registered just to vote on this and show my support for this feature.

[bveldkamp]

I am also getting used to programs that use the "X" on the tab, but like the earlier post, I think it adds too much room when you have a screen full of tabs (documents) open.

In Firefox, the close buttons for inactive tabs are hidden when the width of a tab falls below a certain threshold, middle click still works, though.

[erasmuse]

I'm yet another Firefox user who finds x's for closing tabs useful (just as they are for windows generally-- somebody noted that they're pretty much universal for GUIs). I find it pretty amazing that people are concerned about space on the tab. If it's really a problem, the first thing to do is to get rid of the pad-of-paper-with-a-T icon on the tab.

Another Firefox add-on that would be highly useful is colored tabs and some clear indication of which tab is on top-- boldfacing or something like that.