Multiple-document interface

In MDI applications, the application developer must provide a way to switch between documents or view a list of open windows, and the user might have to use an application-specific menu ("window list" or something similar) to switch between open documents.

In recent years it has become increasingly common for MDI applications to use "tabs" to display the currently opened windows.

Another option is "tiled" panes or windows, which make it easier to prevent content from overlapping.

Some applications allow the user to switch between these modes at their choosing, depending on personal preference or the task at hand.

A notable exception was Apple's Cocoa API until the advent of tabbed window groups in MacOS High Sierra.

In spite of this, some unusual applications breaking the human interface guidelines (most notably Photoshop) do exhibit different behavior.