Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!uplherc!giga!unislc!dave
From: dave@unislc.uucp (Dave Martin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: GUI Style Question
Message-ID: <1990Oct25.212714.26909@unislc.uucp>
Date: 25 Oct 90 21:27:14 GMT
References: <9480@milton.u.washington.edu>
Organization: Unisys, SLC Utah
Lines: 44

From article <9480@milton.u.washington.edu>, by dlarson@blake.u.washington.edu (Dale Larson):
> In article <635@incstar.uucp> lhotka@incstar.uucp (Glamdring) writes:
>>In article <1990Oct12.053232.22478@nas.nasa.gov>, 
>>         smithwik@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov (R. Michael Smithwick -- FSN) writes:
>>> So make sure to read the gadgets buffer and never assume the user hit the 
>>> CR.
>>
>>My solution (this is the question part of this post...) is to always keep track
>>of which field was most recently activated (GADGETDOWN) and to perform the
>>field processing code on GADGETDOWN messages if the newly activated gadget
>>doesn't match the last activated gadget.  Is this the best way to do this?  It
> 
> That looks like somewhat of an unnecessary pain.  If you have several string
> gadgets, hitting return in one of them should move you to the next.  There
> should be no need to touch the mouse.  Doing field processing code only on
> [RETURN] and before going on to the next record makes your life easier. 
> Hitting return each time makes the user's life easier.  So document that fact
> and encourage him or her by not doing field processing unless [RETURN] is
> hit or at the end of the record (and if you find an error in field processing
> at the end of the record, tell the user about [RETURN] again).  
[...]
> -Dale Larson  (dlarson@blake.u.washington.edu)

I come from the camp that software should be User Friendly, not
	User:  You are required to do it this way, even though the O.S.
	       Supports this way, and this way, and...

I may be editing a form rather than entering one and may only want to
change a few fields.  It is easier for me to use the mouse to get to
the next field that I want to change than to hit return 15 times and I
may not remember to hit return on that last field.

The programmer should go to extra effort (read "unnecessary" pain) to
make his software easier to use.  The world is already full of mediocre
software because the programmer went 90% of the way then said "I'm done!".

Now, will someone please tell me if my postings are making it past the
building I work in?

-- 
VAX Headroom	Speaking for myself only... blah blah blahblah blah...
Internet: DMARTIN@CC.WEBER.EDU                 dave@saltlcy-unisys.army.mil
uucp:     dave@unislc or use the From: line.
Now was that civilized?  No, clearly not.  Fun, but in no sense civilized.