Re: "Why would an always displayed list be better than a popup list?"

[Calum Benson <calum benson sun com>]

Norman Black wrote:

> Fine argument for radio buttons. Radio buttons always show the user all
> available options and a popup selection does not. I would have to say
> that I also would prefer radio buttons. What about list verses popup
> list.

Well, a listbox requires less user interaction than a popup one, and
user clicks should be considered "sacred" (to borrow a term from Isaacs
and Walendowski's "Designing from Both Sides of the Screen").

A listbox also makes more of the available options visible immediately,
even if you can't see the whole list at once, which can reduce the need
for users to drop down the list just to see if the setting they'd like
is even there at all.

A listbox is also the only viable alternative if you need
multi-selection (unless you employ the cunning but inaccessible trick
that the Amiga does), but I'm assuming you don't in this case.

> For options that are rarely used by the user, a combo is an good option
> since it clutters up the display less. IMO

Lack of space is certainly one argument for using dropdown controls,
yes.  As with most of UI design, there's no "right" answer that you can
apply to every situation, you have to treat every window on a
case-by-case basis.  But I'd tend to agree with the notion that others
have stated that when there's a straight choice, listboxes are
preferable to their dropdown equivalents.

Cheeri,
Calum.

-- 
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson ireland sun com    Desktop Engineering Group
http://www.sun.ie                      +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems