Re: Dialog buttons

[Andrew MacGinitie <amacginitie snet net>]

the correct way...er, i mean, IMHO:
1. the default button should not perform a destructive action.
2. the default button should not change.
3. action buttons go on the right.
reasons:
1. too easy for the system to read a double keystroke where only 
one was intended, e.g., which might be even more true for someone with
a disability?
2. scripts, keystroke macros like predictability. keystroke macros
are my best friends since i lost the ability to type like i used to.
also, "bottom" is very much a visual, GUI type of cue. Note that in
one OS i know, a button that has the focus can be 'pressed' with the
spacebar or the Enter key, so the 'default' control may change when
the focus changes. that may be ok, but i dislike the idea that any behavior
would be dependent on a button's location in the dialog (e.g., buttons
behaving differently because they're on the bottom row).
3. personally, i don't rate "being like other platforms" highly at all.
comfort, i rate highly. and, if the dialog is read left to right for a
non-visual representation, i would think you'd want to know the info
in the dialog before knowing what action you could perform? BTW, is the
comfort factor related to handedness (i.e., right- v. left-)?

Andrew