@User: I think @User is just referring to the interaction between the layout window and the console window, not multiple layout windows (I could be wrong). But yes, the problem with the current edit cell is that there is a global variable called "EditRootCell" or something like that which is really hard to excise from the code. @User: It also occurs to me that some people are not aware that if you are in the layout window and you type ":" or ";", your typing will be redirected to the console window regardless of whether or not it has focus. You don't have to switch between windows to enter commands.

I didn't realize ; also works!