What is windows?

a window is a visual area containing some kind of user interface. It usually has a rectangular shape.
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It displays
theoutput of and may allow input to one or more processes.
Windows are primarily associated with graphical displays, where they can be manipulated with a mouse cursor.
A graphical user interface !"I# using windows as one of its main $metaphors$ is called a windowing system.
Properties:
Windows are two dimensional ob%ects arranged on a plane called the desktop. In a modern full&featured windowing
system they can be resi'ed, moved, hidden, restored or closed.
Windows usually include other graphical ob%ects, possibly including a menu&bar, toolbars, controls, icons and often a
working area. In the working area, the document, image, folder contents or other main ob%ect is displayed. Around the
working area within the bounding window, there may be other smaller window areas, sometimes called panes or panels,
showing relevant information or options. (he working area may be capable of holding only one single document
interface# or more than one main ob%ect in a multiple document interface. Also, some windows in )ac *+ , have a
feature called a drawer, which is a pane that slides out the side of the window which contains e-tra options without
cluttering the main window space.
A program may create more than one window on the desktop. +ometimes child windows or .dialogs. appear in front of
the main one such as when saving or opening a file. +ome programs create separate windows for each open document
or image, or when specific options are available.
History
(he idea was developed at the +tanford /esearch Institute led by 0ouglas 1ngelbart#.
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(heir earliest systems
supported multiple windows, but there was no obvious way to indicate boundaries between them such as window
borders, title bars, etc#.
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/esearch continued at ,ero- 4orporation.s 5alo Alto /esearch 4enter 6 5A/4 led by Alan 7ay#. (hey used
overlapping windows.
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0uring the 19:;s the term $WI)5$, which stands for window, icon, menu, pointer, was coined at 5A/4.
Apple had worked with 5A/4 briefly at that time. Apple developed an interface based on 5A/4.s interface. It was first
used on Apple.s <isaand later )acintosh computers. )icrosoft was developing office applications for the $)ac$ at that
time. (hey based their windowing system Windows on Apple.s system.
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