Re: Comments on dialog proposal

[Christian Rose <menthos menthos com>]

Michael Rogers wrote:
> > Hmm... OK, Close and Cancel are always supposed to mean exactly the same
> > thing, wherever they are used:
> >
> > OK = apply my unsaved changes now and close the dialog;
> > Close = close the dialog, without making any further changes;
> > Cancel = close the dialog, discarding any changes I've made in the
> > dialog since opening it.*
> >
> > If their meaning is being abused anywhere, we ought to stamp on it.
> 
> The problem is misinterpretation by the user (me), not misuse by the
> programmer: the word 'Close' doesn't give any clue about whether you are
> accepting or discarding changes (unlike 'OK' and 'Cancel').

That's actually why I think "Close" is best suited in an instant-apply
dialog. It relates only to the displaying/removal of the dialog, not
whether settings are applied or discarded. For the same reason, I think
"Cancel" should really be "Revert" or something like that (Revert all
changes in the dialog). "OK"/"Cancel" are confusing in an instant-apply
scenario, IMHO.


Christian