Re: [Usability] Re: Decision: instant apply window buttons

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Mon, Jan 21, 2002 at 11:32:44AM +0000, Bill Haneman wrote:
<snip>
> 
> The expectation for a given dialog is that either (1) a close/done
> button is present; (2) an 'exit' menu item is present (usually on the
> "File" menu), or (3) the dialog is of the sort which might be left
> onscreen through the lifetime of the application, such as a "style
> palette" or the like.  The instant-apply dialogs we've been discussing
> don't meet any of those three criteria.
>
<snip>

These are (3), which are not dialogs. They might be left open for any length
of time.

On Windows they are called property inspectors.
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwue/html/ch09c.asp

On NeXTStep they are either inspectors or preference panels:
  http://www.channelu.com/NeXT/NeXTStep/3.3/nd/UserInterface/05_Panel/Panel.htmld/index.html

Only Apple calls them dialogs:
  http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/macosx/Essentials/AquaHIGuidelines/AHIGDialogs/Types_of_Di_to_Use_Them.html
  http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/mac/HIGuidelines/HIGuidelines-125.html#HEADING125-0

In OS/2 it seems they are usually called properties notebooks:
  http://www.contact.net/os2/TOUR/page3.htm


Gregory Merchan