Re: [HIG] Re: [Usability] Re: Decision: instant apply window buttons

[Calum Benson <calum benson sun com>]

Jeff Waugh wrote:

> I'm not too sure this layout solves the problem - how do I know that cancel
> will undo the actions I've tried?

Because, in our brave new world, Cancel always does that, wherever you
see it on your desktop.  Which is how it always used to be on other
desktops, the main reason that doubt started creeping into people's
minds about what Cancel will do is because the Try-Apply-Cancel model
has broken that rule for years.  Or at least, badly-implemented versions
of it have; the "better" ones change Cancel to Close at appropriate
times, a subtlety which leaves the dialog behaving "correctly" but
doesn't really help the user understand it any better.

> Perhaps a Cooper-ian way of doing this would be Try, Undo, Done (or OK), so
> you're actively undoing actions, and have no ambiguity over what Cancel does.

We've certainly talked about that idea as well.  Off the top off my head
I forget the ins and outs of who did/didn't like it and why/why not,
though.

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