Re: [gnome-db] HIG issues

[Axel Krauth <krauth fmi uni-passau de>]

Hi Steve!

[..]
> > 3) Authentication window for connecting (windows.html#alerts-authentication)
> > - There is a stock item for authentication windows
> > - An authentication window is an alert window. This implies that is has no
> >   title and the default keyboard navigation is as follows:
> >   - Okay/Connect not enabled until all fields have been filled by the user.
> >   - When the user presses Return, move focus to the next field instead of
> >     activating the default button, unless the field is the last one. In that
> >     case, activate the default button.
> 
> What is not obvious, and probably should be, is that the username
> and password fields are optional - they may be left blank if:
> 
> 1. The database provider doesn't do username/password authenticaton, or
> 2. The data source concerned has the username and password stored.
> 
> So, the "Connect" button does need to be enabled with just the data
> source chosen.
> 
> It may be possible to detect when a user could leave these fields
> blank and not ask for them, but at the moment a user can override the
> username/password specified in the data source configuration, for example
> to receive a different set of privileges on the database concerned.
 
As you noticed feedback to the user is missing. In the latter case the HIG
recommends prefilling both fields with the values. In the former case 
(do you mean something like ident??) if the user can't override this setting 
with username/password you should disable both fields as the user isn't 
supposed to fill something in (in this case you probably should also write a 
sentence that the authentication is done via ...). 

Did I miss a case?

[..]
> > First, this is a confirmation alert so it shouldn't have a title. There is
> > also a stock item for this, the stock warning icon (but I'm not quite sure 
> > whether - when you see it - you'll like it. Remember why Gnome recommends
> > stock items). The recommended button combination for Quit is "Cancel&Quit" 
> > not "Yes/No". You have an appropriate quit dialog when connected to a DB
> > (well, besides the fact that it has a title).
> 
> I am not convinced that mergeant is setting the title on this window - unlike
> the authentication window, this one doesn't appear in the window list.  Have
> you used other applications within the same gnome session that have
> displayed windows with no title?

I searched a little bit but didn't find one, so I'm (probably) wrong blaming 
the latter dialog for setting a title :(

/Axel