Bug 319169 [UI] active parts in Detached windows prevent activating a part in the main window
Start with a fresh WS Detach the Outline view using DnD Now you can no longer activate any part in the main window (i.e. Package Explorer). The cause seems to be that the 'rootContainer' has become the DW's MTrimmedWindow rather than the DW's containing MPerspective. This causes the PartService's 'activate' to fail the 'isInContainer()' test...
tests/org.eclipse.e4.ui.tests/src/org/eclipse/e4/ui/tests/application/EPartServiceTest.java
assertNotNull("The first part is active in the first window",
				windowService1.getActivePart());
		assertNull("There should be nothing active in the second window",
				windowService2.getActivePart());
		
		windowService1.activate(part);
		assertEquals("The part should have been activated", part,
				windowService1.getActivePart());
		assertNull("The second window has no parts, this should be null",
				windowService2.getActivePart());
		
		windowService1.deactivate(part);
		window2.getChildren().add(part);
		part.getContext().setParent(window2.getContext());
		
		windowService2.activate(part);
		assertEquals("No parts in this window, this should be null", null,
				windowService1.getActivePart());
		assertEquals("We activated it just now, this should be active", part,
				windowService2.getActivePart());
	}
	public void testApplicationContextHasActivePart() {
		MApplication application = ApplicationFactoryImpl.eINSTANCE
				.createApplication();
		MWindow window = BasicFactoryImpl.eINSTANCE.createWindow();
		application.getChildren().add(window);
		application.setSelectedElement(window);
		MPart partA = BasicFactoryImpl.eINSTANCE.createPart();
		MPart partB = BasicFactoryImpl.eINSTANCE.createPart();
		window.getChildren().add(partA);