Disabled Options (Was Re: Mix of Ideas ...)

[famrom ran es (Guillermo S. Romero / unnamed / Familia Romero)]

>Diabled options are useful so that the layout of the menu always stays the
>same. That way if I get used to clicking the "File" Menu and pulling my
>mouse down about three centimeters to get the option I want, it's the same
>when some of the intermediate options are disabled.

Wait, if the thing can be used, but not at this moment, it should be grayed.
Only when the user _never_ will be able to use it, the thing should
disappear (is funny to see normal user trying to launch Admin apps in NT).
And even this policy is, maybe, too radical.

Following a similar reasoning than with grayed things, the message can be
"Sorry, you can use this, not enough rights" instead of "Sorry, you can use
this at this moment, foo is needed so this becomes avaliable".

The user will see that the app or button or menu entry exists, but he can
not use it with that account. And for creating app layouts and tutorials it
will be easier, cos all keep places, as you said (user Mr Foo running as
root or as normal user other times, will be happy always).

>Does anyone know if something like this could be built up through the tooltips
>mechanism or if something totally new would have to be written?  Wouldn't be
>click -- just hovering over the greyed out item would pop up the tooltip
>explaining why the option's not available....
>(Course, the tooltip would have to be configured somehow to either pop up
>different tips when the option is enabled/disabled or else configured to only
>show up when the tooltip is disabled....)

Huuummmm... when hovering the message appears. Fast and informative. The
famous "ballon help" (I think some apps call it that way).

Now the new thing: if the user clicks, the help is launched with the info
about that option, or a general "why some options are grayed" section (or a
specific "why foo is grayed").

GSR