[Usability] Settings windows and dialogs

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

Executive Summary: No close button.

An instant-apply window makes use of three familiar concepts:
 (1) structured editing
 (2) automatic saving
 (3) WYSIWYG

Much like an HTML or XML editor that helps the user write a structured
document, a settings window helps the user write what his environment
should be.

Like the familiar saving of backup documents for crash recovery, and the
yet less familiar autosave, a settings window saves the user's work and
saves the user time by eliminating the need of an explicit synchronization
such as Save or OK.

Like a WYSIWYG editor spares the user from printing drafts, a settings
window spares the user from taking the extra steps to try, apply, or
preview his work.

The user's settings require user effort and user time just as the user's
documents do. User documents take myriad forms such as plain text, images,
and spreadsheets. All of these forms reflect some user choice in content
or style. The user's settings are the same; they are the user's documents,
just as his macros and scripts are.

Among the expected responses for a document window are that some keys will
close the window, some will focus the menubar, and some will activate
the system's window menu. Document windows can not be tabbed to completion
and do not display an internal closing control.

The following keys will be bound for all settings windows, modulo user
changes. Note that any window manager key-binding would naturally override
these, as do bindings particular to text widgets. Escape is not included
because the proper top-level binding of that is to Cancel, which undoes
changes.

Closing keys:
  Alt+F4
  Ctrl+F4
  Ctrl+W
  Ctrl+Q

Internal window menu:
(to be implemented as a pop-up here and including a Close command)
  F10
  Alt-released (when supported elsewhere by the toolkit)

Furthermore:
  F1 should display help.
  Ctrl+Z should step backward through the setting history, and
  Shift+Ctrl+Z should step forward through it.
  (Undo/Redo will probably have to wait until 2.2 or later.)

  It is recommended that window managers bind Alt+Space to showing
  the window menu; this should not conflict with any other keys.

The presentation of Help, Undo, and Defaults buttons is not here required.
However, if it decided that they should be present certain rules apply.
(This description is for Left-to-Right reading locales.)

  The appearance of the buttons will follow the global user choice for
  toolbars, not dialogs.

  The buttons will not be placed at the bottom of the window. This allows
  for increment disclosure with a disclose triangle to not move the buttons
  from a standard place and also distinguishes them from buttons known to
  close the window such as OK and Cancel.

  The buttons will not be placed at the top of the window. This
  would create an awkward appearance for settings windows with 6 or fewer
  pages which should display the page switching control as tabs across
  the top.

  The buttons will not be placed on the left side of the window. This
  would create an awkward appearance for settings windows with 7 or more
  pages which should display the page switching control as a list box
  on the left side.

  Buttons will be placed in and apply to individual pages. This is
  intentionally different from the behavior of multi-page dialogs as
  often seen on Windows because there are not buttons like the
  OK/Apply/Cancel triplet seen there and because changes should not
  be made invisibly. This also permits pages without defaults to
  appear without a restore button, rather than with one dimmed for
  no apparent reason.

Lastly, for settings which cannot be instantly applied, dialogs will use
Try, Cancel, and OK.

  Try    : Applies settings and does not close.
  Cancel : Resets the dialog (undoing Try) and closes.
  OK     : Applies settings and closes.


Cheers,
Greg Merchan