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Fitts' Law to the tab bar #4912

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opened 2026-01-31 00:00:05 +00:00 by claunia · 7 comments
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:05 +00:00
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Originally created by @denilsonsa on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019).

Originally assigned to: @cinnamon-msft on GitHub.

Description of the new feature/enhancement

Currently, there are 4 pixels of distance between each of the top of the tabs and the top of the maximized window:

image

According to the Fitts' Law, the time to interact with a component is a function of the distance from the mouse pointer to the component, and the area of the component. As a special case, because the computer screen is bounded, the four screen borders (and the four corners) have infinite area, making them extremely easy and fast to use.

However, the Windows Terminal (version 0.6.2951.0) places the tabs just 4 pixels away from the screen border, making it very frustrating to click (even more so because users are already used to tabs in Chrome and Firefox).

Further reading:

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

The tabs should touch the screen border when the terminal is maximized. Just like how Chrome and Firefox also behave.

Footnote: I tried searching if this issue had been reported before, but I found nothing. This issue here should be included into #1625.

Originally created by @denilsonsa on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019). Originally assigned to: @cinnamon-msft on GitHub. <!-- 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 I ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING BEFORE PROCEEDING: 1. If I delete this entire template and go my own path, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. 2. If I list multiple bugs/concerns in this one issue, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. 3. If I write an issue that has many duplicates, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement (and without necessarily spending time to find the exact duplicate ID number). 4. If I leave the title incomplete when filing the issue, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. 5. If I file something completely blank in the body, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. All good? Then proceed! --> # Description of the new feature/enhancement Currently, there are 4 pixels of distance between each of the top of the tabs and the top of the maximized window: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/121676/68541168-7f13b180-039c-11ea-82eb-c72a98231061.png) According to the Fitts' Law, the time to interact with a component is a function of the distance from the mouse pointer to the component, and the area of the component. As a special case, because the computer screen is bounded, the four screen borders (and the four corners) have infinite area, making them extremely easy and fast to use. However, the Windows Terminal (version 0.6.2951.0) places the tabs just 4 pixels away from the screen border, making it very frustrating to click (even more so because users are already used to tabs in Chrome and Firefox). Further reading: * https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/jensenh/2006/08/22/giving-you-fitts/ * http://particletree.com/features/visualizing-fittss-law/ * https://blog.codinghorror.com/fitts-law-and-infinite-width/ * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law # Proposed technical implementation details (optional) The tabs should touch the screen border when the terminal is maximized. Just like how Chrome and Firefox also behave. --- Footnote: I tried searching if this issue had been reported before, but I found nothing. This issue here should be included into #1625.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:08 +00:00
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@innovoix commented on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019):

The tabs should touch the screen border when the terminal is maximized. Just like how Chrome and Firefox also behave.

Yes please! 👍
I realized that in Firefox the distance between tab and window border is much smaller (almost no gap) then in Chrome/Edge chromium when not maximized.
Chrome/Edge chromium when not maximized is more like Windows Terminal now. Just saying. 😄

@innovoix commented on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019): > The tabs should touch the screen border when the terminal is maximized. Just like how Chrome and Firefox also behave. Yes please! 👍 I realized that in Firefox the distance between tab and window border is much smaller (almost no gap) then in Chrome/Edge chromium when not maximized. Chrome/Edge chromium when not maximized is more like Windows Terminal now. Just saying. 😄
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:09 +00:00
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@skyline75489 commented on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019):

I actually like the idea. Maybe Windows Terminal should just behave more like Chrome and Firefox.

@skyline75489 commented on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019): I actually like the idea. Maybe Windows Terminal should just behave more like Chrome and Firefox.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:10 +00:00
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@kfsone commented on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019):

This is infuriating in any scenario where the top of the screen is acting as any kind of hot zone: remote desktop, hyper-v, screen capture, or [insane] people who put their task bars at the top of the screen.

Chrome non-fullscreen:
image

Chrome after WM_MAXIMIZE: Note: hitbox is both rectangular and includes the tab border chrome to reach the top of the display.
image

Terminal after WM_MAXIMIZE:
image

@kfsone commented on GitHub (Nov 10, 2019): This is **_infuriating_** in any scenario where the top of the screen is acting as any kind of hot zone: remote desktop, hyper-v, screen capture, or [insane] people who put their task bars at the top of the screen. Chrome non-fullscreen: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/323009/68549597-de7abd00-03ae-11ea-805f-c2d3810b9cfd.png) Chrome after WM_MAXIMIZE: Note: hitbox is both rectangular and includes the tab border chrome to reach the top of the display. ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/323009/68549618-0e29c500-03af-11ea-9d8e-25e030ee2834.png) Terminal after WM_MAXIMIZE: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/323009/68549621-213c9500-03af-11ea-9967-9ea0efcdddf9.png)
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:11 +00:00
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@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019):

Yea this makes sense to me. I could have sworn there was a dupe for this but I'm not finding it. Thanks for the write-up!

@zadjii-msft commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019): Yea this makes sense to me. I could have sworn there was a dupe for this but I'm not finding it. Thanks for the write-up!
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:12 +00:00
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@miniksa commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019):

@cinnamon-msft is going to find where this goes. She's working on tab pixel-y things right now.

@miniksa commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019): @cinnamon-msft is going to find where this goes. She's working on tab pixel-y things right now.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:13 +00:00
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@miniksa commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019):

Kayla says (now verbally in triage) that this is a /dup of #2541.

@miniksa commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019): Kayla says (now verbally in triage) that this is a /dup of #2541.
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:00:13 +00:00
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@ghost commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019):

Hi! We've identified this issue as a duplicate of another one that already exists on this Issue Tracker. This specific instance is being closed in favor of tracking the concern over on the referenced thread. Thanks for your report!

@ghost commented on GitHub (Nov 11, 2019): Hi! We've identified this issue as a duplicate of another one that already exists on this Issue Tracker. This specific instance is being closed in favor of tracking the concern over on the referenced thread. Thanks for your report!
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Reference: starred/terminal#4912
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