Re: [Usability] Re: Standardizing Find and Replace windows

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Thu, 3 Jul 2003, Dan Zlotnikov wrote:

> Okay, scenario: User is searching for an occurence of "car" somewhere
> below the cursor. She clicks "find next" a few dozen times, discovers that
> there is no match in the context she wants. The question is, what does she
> do next:
>
> 1) She closes the dialogue and continues working. Nothing wrong there,
> current proposal accomodates this.
> 2) She wants to find that match regardless of where in the file it is
> located. Maybe she just forgot it was above the cursor. She has to check
> off the "wrap search" button, and then click "find next." Please note,
> click, not hit "enter," since the selection has been moved from the
> default button.
>
> If the search auto-wraps, on the other hand...
>
> 1) She finds no matches before the end of the file, sees a non-modal
> message appear in the dialogue, saying something like "search wrapped to
> beginning of file." She closes the dialogue and continues working, nothing
> wrong there.

I dont like the interruption of this message dialog, it is too intrusive
but I do still need a clear indication of when the wrap has occured.
If you are using Alt+F to find repeatedly rather than hitting return you
have to move you hands to dismiss the message.
At the same time I am not sure if only using a message in the status bar
is clear enough.

> 2) She wants that match, so she continues going through the file until she
> finds the right match *above* the original cursor position. All she had
> to do for this is keep hitting "enter."

- Alan