Popkin's System Architect

Jim Brooking sent us these images from Popkin Software's System Architect. The images illustrate how a particular dialog in the application provides resizing ability. The first image illustrates the dialog in its original state, and the second demonstrates the "maximized" dialog.

As indicated in the image, the standard Windows maximize control is disabled, and the dialog instead provides its own (in the lower right-hand corner.of the frame. Clicking the new maximize button results in the following change:

Notice much of an effect? The dialog itself has not been maximized; instead, the grid has been marginally increased withing the dialog, with the net effect of causing two additional rows to be displayed. Despite the user's request to resize the dialog in order to see more of the information contained in the grid, the dialog still contains an inordinate amount of unused white space.

Our question to Popkin is this: "Why even require the user to maximize the display in the first place?". We recognize that some developers are still struggling with resizeable dialogs, but why not provide the user with your maximized view in the first place and skip the custom resizing altogether?

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