Tabs

Tabs are a user interface element that allows multiple documents or panels to be open within a single window, each represented by a labeled tab. Used in web browsers, file managers, text editors, IDEs, and other applications to switch between tasks without opening new windows.

Tabbed interfaces support actions such as opening, closing, rearranging tabs, and using keyboard shortcuts (for example Ctrl/Cmd+W to close a tab, Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+T to reopen, Ctrl/Cmd+PageUp/PageDown to switch). They help conserve screen space and organize workflows.

Musical tabs, or tablatures, are a notation system for fretted stringed instruments. A tab uses parallel lines to represent strings and numbers to indicate frets. It is simpler to learn than standard musical notation and is widely used for guitar, bass, and other instruments, often alongside rhythm marks or standard notation.

The tab key on keyboards inserts a tab character or advances to the next tab stop, depending on the context. In text editors and word processors, tabs can be configured to align text in columns; in programming, the terms "tabs" and "spaces" describe indentation styles, a matter of coding conventions.

In some software, tabbed interfaces can suffer from tab overload or "tab explosion" when many tabs are open. Designers address this with features like tab grouping, pinning, scrolling, or tear-off mechanisms. The concept originated with graphical user interfaces in the 1990s and has since become a standard across software.