Split screen (computing)

Various methods to display multiple signals on a 4:3 screen: 1+3, 3+1 (1:1), 2×2, 3×3, 4×4 (4:3), 1+1 (2:3 vertical, 8:3 horizontal), 4×3 (1:1), 1 in 12 (4:3).

In computing, a split screen is a display technique in computer graphics that consists of dividing graphics and/or text into adjacent (and possibly overlapping) parts, typically as two or four rectangular areas. While it resembles a presentation technique used in movies and on television here it is not merely done in order to allow the simultaneous presentation of (usually) related graphical and textual information on a computer display.

Editors

Having two or more source files on the screen allows both for maintaining related program modules but also for looking up documentation for the programming language being used. Among the early editors supporting split screen were Brief (text editor) and EMACS.

Screen management

The original non-dynamic split screens differed from windowing systems in that the latter always allowed overlapping and freely movable parts of the screen (the "windows") to present related as well as unrelated application data to the user, while the former were strictly limited to fixed non-overlapping positions.

Other uses

The split screen technique can also be used to run two instances of an application, possibly with another user interacting with the other instance.

See also

• Screen tearing
• Split screen (video production)
• Tiling window manager