1. Tab Implementation Comparison

This page compares the current implementation of tabs in the following GNOME applications:

• GNOME-Terminal (2.24.1)
• Gedit (2.24.0)
• Epiphany (2.24.1)
• Empathy (2.24.1)
• Nautilus (2.24.1)

Inconsistencies are highlighted in bold.

1.1. Tab Widgets

1.1.1. Tab Width

• Gedit: dynamic width (width based on tab label length)

• GNOME-Terminal: dynamic width (total width of window evenly distributed between open tabs)

• Epiphany: fixed width (medium)

• Empathy: fixed width (narrow)

• Nautilus: fixed width (medium)

1.1.2. New Tab Placement

• Everything appends the new tab to the far right - except the Epiphany Tab Groups plugin

1.1.3. Tab Bar

• When only one tab is open, the tab bar is:
  • Epiphany: hidden

  • Gedit: displayed Reported as bug 547848 (marked as WONTFIX).

  • GNOME-Terminal: hidden

  • Empathy: displayed

  • Nautilus: hidden

1.1.4. Right Mouse Button Context Menu On Tab

• Epiphany:
  • Move Tab Left
  • Move Tab Right
  • Close
• Gedit:
  • Move to New Window
  • Save
  • Save As
  • Print...
  • Close
• GNOME-Terminal:
  • Move Tab Left
  • Move Tab Right

  • <separator>

  • Set Title

  • <separator>

  • Close Tab
• Empathy: No menu
• Nautilus:
  • Move Tab Left
  • Move Tab Right

  • <separator>

  • Close Tab

1.2. Menus

1.2.1. File Menu

Entries relating to the opening and closing of tabs and windows:

• Gedit

  • New (Ctrl+N) Reported as bug 588702 (status: UNCONFIRMED) and as bug 614476 (status: UNCONFIRMED).

  • Close (Ctrl+W)
  • Quit (Ctrl+Q)
• Epiphany
  • New Tab (Ctrl+T)
  • New Window (Ctrl+N)
  • Close (Ctrl+W)
• Nautilus
  • New Tab (Ctrl+T)
  • New Window (Ctrl+N)

  • Close All Windows (Shift+Ctrl+W)

  • Close (Ctrl+W)
• GNOME Terminal

  • Open Terminal (Shift+Ctrl+N) [Opens new window.] Reported as bug 543996 (status: UNCONFIRMED).

  • Open Tab (Shift+Ctrl+T)

  • Close Tab (Shift+Ctrl+W)
  • Close Window (Shift+Ctrl+Q)

The same data in table form:

1.2.1.1. Notes

1.2.1.1.1. Opening

Gedit is the only GNOME application that uses tabs which does not provide a 'New Tab' File Menu entry and keyboard shortcut. It should provide 'New Window' and 'New Tab' entries.

GNOME Terminal uses the phrasing 'Open Terminal' and 'Open Tab', whereas other GNOME applications which use tabs use the expressions 'New Window' and 'New Tab'.

1.2.1.1.2. Closing

Nautilus uses 'Close All Windows' as opposed to 'Quit'.

Gedit uses 'Quit' instead of 'Close Window'.

GNOME Terminal uses 'Close Window', whereas Nautilus, and Epiphany use 'Close' and Gedit uses 'Quit'. (For comparison - Evolution has Quit and Close Window, Totem has Quit, Calculator has Quit, Banshee has 'Close' and 'Quit'.)

Nautilus is the only GNOME application that uses tabs which provides a Close All Windows File Menu entry and keyboard shortcut.

1.2.1.1.3. General

The terminology GNOME Terminal's File Menu is inconsistent. 'Open Terminal' is used instead of 'Open Window', despite 'New Window' being used in all other GNOME applications which use tabs, and despite 'Close Window' (and not 'Close Terminal') being used in the same File Menu.

1.3. Tabs Menu

• Gedit: 'Documents'
  • Save All
  • Close All

  • <Separator>

  • Previous Document
  • Next Document

  • <Separator>

  • Move to New Document

  • <Separator>

  • Entries for specific tabs (radio button to left of each entry)
• Epiphany: 'Tabs'
  • Previous Tab
  • Next Tax

  • <Separator>

  • Move Tab Left
  • Move Tab Right

  • <Separator>

  • Entries for specific tabs (radio button to left of each entry)
• GNOME-Terminal: 'Tabs'
  • Previous Tab
  • Next Tax

  • <Separator>

  • Move Tab to the Left
  • Move Tab to the Right

  • <Separator>

  • Detach Tab

  • <Separator>

  • Entries for specific tabs (radio button to left of each entry)
• Empathy: menu name is 'Tabs'
  • Previous Tab
  • Next Tab

  • <Separator>

  • Move Tab Left
  • Move Tab Right
  • Detach Tab
• Nautilus: menu name is 'Tabs'
  • Previous Tab
  • Next Tab

  • <Separator>

  • Move Tab Left
  • Move Tab Right
  • Entries for specific tabs (radio button to left of each entry)

1.4. Keyboard Shortcuts

• Open new tab

  • Gedit: Ctrl+N (Ctrl+T isn't mapped to anything though.) Reported as bug 588702.

  • Epiphany: Ctrl+T

  • Gnome-Terminal: Shift+Ctrl+T

  • Empathy: None (new tabs cannot be opened from the conversation window)

  • Nautilus: Ctrl+T
• Select tab right/left

  • Gedit: Ctrl+Alt+PgUp/PgDn (Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn maps to go to beginning/end paragraph in GtkTextView.) Reported as bug 163494 (marked as NOTABUG).

  • Epiphany: Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

  • Gnome-Terminal: Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

  • Empathy: Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

  • Nautilus: Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

• Select specific tab

  • Gedit: Alt+<Number>

  • Epiphany: Alt+<Number>

  • GNOME-Terminal: Alt+<Number>

  • Empathy: None

  • Nautilus: Alt+<Number>

• Move tab right/left

  • Gedit: Alt+<Number corresponding to tab position>

  • Epiphany: Shift+Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

  • Gnome-Terminal: Shift+Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

  • Empathy: None

  • Nautilus: Shift+Ctrl+PgUp/PgDn

• Close current tab
  • Gedit: Ctrl+W
  • Epiphany: Ctrl+W

  • Gnome-Terminal: Shift+Ctrl+W (Ctrl+W deletes one 'word')

  • Empathy: Ctrl+W