Re: Default button in dialogs

[James "M." Cape <jcape ignore-your tv>]

On 17 May 2001 02:59:57 +0100, Michael Rogers wrote:
> On Wed, May 16, 2001 at 04:37:35PM -0500, James M. Cape wrote:
> > I personally do not believe that "Close" should be used anywhere it can
> > be avoided. Ok/Cancel (or verb equivs) handle the two major choices:
> > 
> >     (OK) Accept the user's changes and continue in the app.
> >     (Cancel) Cancel the user's changes and continue in the app.
> 
> Sounds good, but maybe Accept should be used instead of OK in dialogs, 
> to avoid confusion with the other meaning of OK ("I understand") in 
> information/warning windows? That way "OK" will always mean "I 
> understand", with no connotations of issuing a command or making a 
> choice. In dialogs like Find and Replace, which don't modify settings, 
> Done could be used instead of Accept.
> 
> Michael

Well, in dialogs like "Find" and "Replace", the buttons would use the
verbs "Find" and "Replace" :-).

This situation is also one of the instances where the "Close" button
*should* be used, because the user (probably) wants the dialog to stay
open for repeated actions. Cancel really is unecessary for these
particular dialogs as well, because "Undo" should exist anywhere
"Replace" does :-).

I think the idea I'm getting at here is that all kinds of things should
be done in real time, so the order of operations is typically:

1) Open dialog
2) Make & apply changes
3) Close dialog [or] Cancel changes & close dialog

instead of

1) Open dialog
2) Make changes
3) Close dialog & apply changes [or] Just close dialog

    Jim Cape
    http://www.ignore-your.tv

    If the United States Government spent as much on education
    as it did on the military, every student could fail in a
    solid gold desk.