Basics
Quit/close

This is a quick start for developers to understand how to use the file menu entries quit and close. This information is all mentioned elsewhere in the guide so you could call this a summery.

To make one thing clear, the interface is there for the user. When we are talking about application you have to see the application the way a normal user would, this difference often leads to confusion, therefor I will try to avoid the terms on this page that could cause such confusion.

Every program which has a KDE interface will have a window which can be called the main window, this is the window that has the 'File' menu among others. This one window should contain a quit and a close (if appropriate) and the quit and close will only work on this window. So even if the user has 10 windows open each and every one of these windows will only respond to their own quit and close commands.

Summarizing: selecting quit or close will only act on the window that offers the option.

Quit essentially means "close this window".

Selecting quit will close the document and ask to save if there ware unsaved changes. After which it will close the main window.

Close essentially releases the document, freeing the window for another document.

Selecting close will close the document and ask to save if there ware unsaved changes. After this one of a number of things can happen. The author is free to choose which is most appropriate for his application.

• Leave the application with an empty canvas.
• Open an empty document in the main-window.
• Open a dialog which allows the user to select a new or empty document in the main-window.

Selecting the X of the window is exactly the same as selecting quit. (see the only exception to this rule in Systray)

Q) I have opened a lot of windows of application X and I want to close them all with one command.
A) First; quit is not for that. Maybe you should add a View->Close all Views for this.

Q) My application is not a document centered application, does this apply to me?
A) This behavior should apply to all KDE applications. If you don't have a document close will be irrelevant to you. If you do need a close it is likely that you do have a document centered application. If in doubt ask the people on the kde-look mailing list.

Q) I like exit better than quit.
A) Sorry. Please conform to the styleguide. It creates consistency between all applications.