Re: [HIG] Capplet buttons/guidelines

[Matthew Thomas <mpt mailandnews com>]

Calum Benson wrote:
> 
> Gregory Merchan wrote:
> >
> > This is not a new control; it's a button.
> 
> As you described it, though, it's different from the Help button that
> appears in a regular dialog, in that it doesn't have a text label.

That could be easily fixed by making the Help button that appears in a
regular dialog not have a text label either.

That in turn would make Help buttons less intrusive, as well as more
attractive to those people who really need help but don't want to be
caught clicking anything which says `Help' on it.

In addition, making a help button only an icon would allow an
alternative action button to be lined up neatly with the text of an
alert, like this (guideline included for reference):
       :
,------:-------------------------------------------.
|::::::|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|
+------:-------------------------------------------+
|  ,   This message scores 7 chillies on the       |
| /!\  flame-o-meter. Are you sure you want to     |
| """  send it?                                    |
|      :                                           |
|      :                                           |
| [?]  ( Don't Send )        ( Cancel ) (( Send )) |
`------:-------------------------------------------'
       :

> Indeed, if the user had icons in command buttons turned off, as I do,
> they would look completely different.

That's the idea. :-)

> > Placing it on the top-right corner puts it in a position near that
> > of the Help menu, which is of course not present in this case. This
> > is what I've seen on my sister's Mac, btw.
> 
> Hmm, is that OSX?  Help buttons always appear in the bottom left
> corner of windows on my Mac, but admittedly that's only OS 8.6...

It applies to all Mac OS versions from 7.0 onward, though the position
of the Help button does vary depending on the window.

*   <http://www.chasms3.com/chasms3/mac022600/apple7b.htm>
    Help is at the top right, while `Revert' and co. are at the bottom
    right. There's no need for `OK' or whatever, since the window is
    non-modal; it's instant-apply, though of course you won't notice the
    changes until you restart.

*   <http://www.chasms3.com/chasms3/mac022600/apple7c1.htm>
    Here it is important that help is at the top right, so that it
    doesn't wobble about when the expander is toggled.

*   <http://www.chasms3.com/chasms3/mac022600/apple7d1.htm>
    Help is put at the bottom left. Putting it at the top right would
    have been a better choice here, since there's space for it, and
    since the bottom row is otherwise empty.

*   <http://www.chasms3.com/chasms3/mac022600/apple7e.htm>
    This time it does make sense for Help to be at the bottom left,
    since there's a row of buttons at the bottom already.

-- 
Matthew `mpt' Thomas, Mozilla UI Design component default assignee thing
<http://mozilla.org/>