Single Document Interface

In graphical user interfaces, a single document interface or SDI is a method of organizing graphical user interface applications into individual windows that the operating system's window manager handles separately. A window does not have a "background" or "parent" window containing its menu or toolbar; instead, each window contains its own menu or toolbar. Applications which allow the editing of more than one document at a time, e.g. word processors, may therefore give the user the impression that more than one instance of an application is open.

Often, each window displays as an individual entry in the operating system's task bar or manager. Some task managers summarize windows of the same application. For example, Mac OS X uses a feature called Exposé which allows the user to temporarily see all windows belonging to a particular application.