[Qgis-user] Separate or combined windows for Qgis canvas and Layout (or being able to dock the Python scripting console panel to a Layout window)

[Patrick Dunford]

Just have a question here about the use of separate application windows 
for the Qgis application main window and the Layout window. Obviously 
the separate layout windows can be multiple in number whereas most of 
the time we only need one application main window open.

However for me there is the question of having different toolbars and 
panels available in the two different types of window. Whilst they do 
fulfill different functions of the application, the crossover between 
those functions that is easy to achieve when running a script somewhat 
blurs the merits of separate windows and raises the question of why 
panels and toolbars can only be used in one or the other windows but not 
both.

In other words should you have the two distinct types of window or one 
window that can have a combination of panels and toolbars from anywhere. 
Granted that that would be a challenge if implemented to its fullest 
extent since most of the panels and toolbars are specific to each window 
type and the canvas would have to become some sort of panel as well.

My view on this is mostly driven by the apparently reasonable conclusion 
that the Python scripting console panel should not be limited to only 
being able to be docked to the application main window instead of the 
layout window as is currently the case. I have a script that performs a 
layout export to image and I have to keep switching backwards and 
forwards between the main window and the layout window to run the 
script, which can be for hundreds of export operations in a day. The 
script itself reduces the number of mouse clicks needed to run each of 
the individual exports by automatically selecting the layers to make up 
an export in the main window.