Re: [Usability] Disclosure triangles

[Maciej Stachowiak <mjs noisehavoc org>]

On 29Dec2001 05:44AM (+1100), Jeff Waugh wrote:
> 
> On that note, perhaps disclosure triangles should always have a label. :)
> 

That depends on whether it's already obvious what it would
disclose. For example, a disclosure tringle next to a directory in a
list would clearly disclose it's children. A disclosure triangle next
to a progress bar could reasonably be assumed to disclose more
information about the operation's progress.


To the original point, one place in Mac OS X where something like a
disclosure tringle is used to disclose extra controls is in the file
open/save dialog. However, for some strange reason it's a push button
that has either an up arrow or a down arrow on it. I think this is
less clear than a nice, smoothly animated disclosure triangle.


I think disclosure triangles can sometimes be used effectively to
disclose more controls, but the window should not be made unusable
even with the extra controls, and you should avoid using more than one
disclosure triangle for different sets of controls. The Apple internal
bug tracker application, Radar, does this, and it makes the bug
reporting form hard to use.

 - Maciej