swappane

Swappane is a user interface component that provides a pane capable of exchanging its content with another pane within the same window or layout. The concept emphasizes flexibility in organizing information, allowing users to reconfigure the workspace by swapping panels rather than expanding or closing them.

Typically, swappanes support one or more interaction modalities, such as drag-and-drop between panes, keyboard shortcuts, or context menus. Implementations may include animation during the swap, state preservation of each pane, and constraints that prevent swaps to incompatible pane types or data models.

Common use cases include integrated development environments where a code editor pane can swap with a file explorer pane; data dashboards where a chart pane can swap with a data table; or multimedia editors where a timeline view can swap with a properties panel. Swappanes can improve workflow by reducing the need for windows or drawers and by enabling rapid side-by-side comparisons.

Origin and terminology: the term swappane is a descriptive label formed from swap and pane. It has appeared in UI design discussions and documentation as a way to describe this interaction pattern, though it is not universally standardized and may be described with related terms such as swap-enabled panels, configurable panes, or docking layouts.

Related concepts include pane, split view, docking systems, and draggable user interfaces.