Default Documents

If the user launches an application by double-clicking a document icon, the application should open the document and display it.

If the user doesn't supply a document (i.e., launches the application by double-clicking an application icon rather than a document icon), the application should, if appropriate, provide the user with a new document to work in (perform an implicit New command).  This is much friendlier to a new user than simply putting a menu on-screen.  Users should be permitted to disable this behavior through a preference.

It's almost always appropriate for general-purpose applications to perform an implicit New command.  However, it's not appropriate if the application can't produce a new document without user input.  It's also not appropriate if producing a new document has side effects (such as modifying the file system by creating a new directory or adding a file that might persist even if the user decided not to save the new document.)

When an application is launched automatically at login or from another application (i.e., by a remote message), it should not perform an implicit New command.

If the user opens another document without touching the new one that was provided at startup, the application could automatically close the new one.  But this is not a requirement of the user interface.

Names for New Documents

If the New command displays a new document that can be saved, the window should be labeled ªUNTITLEDº (all caps and no file name extension).  An application can follow this with an appropriate noun, e.g., ªUNTITLED PROJECTº or with a number to distinguish it from other new documents.

The directory of the new document should be the directory of the current (i.e., previous to the New command) main window, or, if there is no main window, the user's home directory.  For example:

	UNTITLED  Ð  /Net/machine/home