TextEdit Floating Thumbnail

[SpeQ]

When you take a screenshot, a small window is shown momentarily, called a “floating thumbnail” in the Screenshot options, and then that thumbnail becomes a file icon.

I had aTextEdit file window open, behind a couple other windows. I intended to move (click/drag) one of the windows above, but I apparently hit the TextEdit window, and it changed into what looked like a floating thumbnail and remained at the end of my cursor until I released the left-click button.

It scared me, because it was a pretty important file and I had no idea what was going on. I tried to recreate the action several times, but was unsuccessful. I suppose it’s possible I may have been holding a key down at the time, but I don’t remember it.

Anybody have any idea what I’m talking about here? Was this a fluke/glitch or a feature?

 

[SpeQ]

Once again I will partly answer my own question. I finally figured out how to recreate this. You have to have the cursor in the Tab Bar area of a TextEdit file, and then click and drag the window in any direction, and as you do so, the window will minimize to like 200X200 pixels until you release the mouse button. I have no idea why this behavior exists, what it's called (floating thumbnail?), or if any other native apps do it. The cursor must be in the Tab Bar area (TextEdit: View>Show Tab Bar).

 

[Ritsuka]

That's how the tab bar works. You can drag a tab out of the tab bar and it will open in a separate window.
Obviously if you have only one tab open, it's completely useless.

 

[SpeQ]

D'oh... I see now. I didn't even make the connection that TextEdit had tabs like a browser. When I see the word 'tab' in a word processor, I'm thinking of a different definition.

I just came from Mavericks, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have that behavior. Thanks for explaining!