Window (computing)

It consists of a visual area containing some of the graphical user interface of the program it belongs to and is framed by a window decoration.

Windows are primarily associated with graphical displays, where they can be manipulated with a pointer by employing some kind of pointing device.

[4] During the 1980s the term "WIMP", which stands for window, icon, menu, pointer, was coined at PARC.

In a modern full-featured windowing system they can be resized, moved, hidden, restored or closed.

In the working area, the document, image, folder contents or other main object is displayed.

These functions are typically placed in the top-right of the screen to allow fast and inaccurate inputs through barrier pointing.

provide title bars which are purely for decorative purposes and offer no window motion facility.

Various methods (menu-selections, escape sequences, setup parameters, command-line options – depending on the computing environment) may exist to give the end-user some control of title-bar text.

Document-oriented applications like a text editor may display the filename or path of the document being edited.

Google Chrome and some versions of Mozilla Firefox place their tabs in the title bar.

The title bar often contains widgets for system commands relating to the window, such as a maximize, minimize, rollup and close buttons; and may include other content such as an application icon, a clock, etc.

Some window managers display a small icon in the title bar that may vary according to the application on which it appears.

Some tiling window managers provide title bars which are purely for informative purposes and offer no controls or menus.