Tabbed

Tabbed refers to a user interface design in which multiple panels or documents are organized under labeled tabs within a single window. The currently visible content is shown in the active tab, while other tabs remain accessible via the tab bar.

The concept is widely used in web browsers (tabbed browsing), text editors, integrated development environments, file managers, and settings panels. In programming, UI toolkits provide components called tabbed panes or notebooks to implement tabbed interfaces, such as Java Swing’s JTabbedPane, GTK’s Notebook, and Qt’s QTabWidget.

Advantages of tabbed interfaces include efficient use of screen space and rapid switching between open documents or views. Drawbacks can include tab overflow when many tabs exist, potential confusion about tab order, and accessibility challenges for assistive technologies. Modern implementations often offer features such as reordering, closing tabs, pinning, single-tab modes, and keyboard shortcuts (for example, switching with Ctrl/Cmd+Tab and closing with Ctrl/Cmd+W).

Design considerations for tabbed interfaces include managing overflow on smaller screens, providing clear labeling, and ensuring consistent focus behavior. Some applications collapse excess tabs into a dropdown menu or alternative navigation when space is limited. Tabbed interfaces remain a common pattern in software design due to their familiarity and efficiency for multitasking within a single window.