Re: [Usability] Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines vs the HIG

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Sat, 16 Dec 2006, Bill Wohler wrote:

> Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 09:29:10 -0800
> From: Bill Wohler <wohler newt com>
> To: Usability gnome org
> Subject: [Usability] Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines vs the HIG

I'm hesitant to answer this question at all but I am doing so to ensure
you get do get some response.

> I'm embarking on a new project using Java/Swing which is expected to
> run in a GNU/Linux environment.

Now that Sun Microsystems have released their Java Runtime Enviroment
under the GNU General Public License (GPL) I hope to see many more Java
projects for Gnome. (Hopefully also more attention for existing projects
and work to better integrate them with Gnome.)

> I'm contemplating using the HIG

Gnome Human Interface Guidelines
http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/

> instead of the JLFDG as I've always done

(I could have guessed but I had to look it up, so I may as well provide
the links)

Java Look & Feel Design Guidelines (JLFDG)
http://java.sun.com/products/jlf/ed2/book/HIGTOC.nf.html

I expect you are already aware of the Java Desktop Integration Components
(JDIC)  https://jdic.dev.java.net/

> and using the GTK look and
> feel rather than the default Swing look and feel. I'd be interested in
> hearing your views on the pros and cons of both of these decisions.

For the most part I would hope you could follow most parts of both
guidelines without needing to reject the other.  I'm not up to date with
the Java guidelines but I'd be surprised if they were not a great deal
more specific and detailed than the Gnome guidelines.

Keep in mind the Gnome guidelines have quite different techincal
constraints, GTK doesn't allow quite as many complicated user interface
layouts as Java can do.  The Gnome HIG doesn't go into great detail
explaingin the reasoning behind various decisions and limitations so a
Gnome program written entirely in Java could throw out new and interesting
questions and possibilities.  There may well be interesting things you can
do that might not follow the letter of the Gnome HIG but fall within the
spirit behind the guidelines.

> Also, does that opinion change if the application is expected to run
> on more than one platform (like Windows or Mac).

Gtk applications developers increasingly want to integrate well on various
platforms and avoid limiting themselves so a certain amount of variation
is to be expected, although I would urge you to be cautious and keep your
application internally consistent and avoid slavishly following platform
guidelines if the cause too much divergance.  (Makes learning and
documenting harder, can make it harder for your Windows user to help
answer the questions of your Mac users etc.)  I would say of course keep
an eye open to platform issues but put your own applications first.

> One last question: Since the development of the JLFDG seems to be dead
> and the HIG community seems quite active and contains Sun members, are
> there any thoughts about deprecating the JLFDG in favor of the HIG at
> some time in the future?

To paraphrase Monty Python: Not dead, just resting.  It is entirely
possible the Java guidelines are progressing, only very slowly, like a
glacier.  In any case the communities are quite seperate and I doubt
either would choose to deprecate their guidelines but efforts to improve
compatibility would certainly be welcome.  The involvement of Sun
Microsystems as you mention has probably gone a long way already to help
make the different guidelines complementary.


Sincerely

Alan Horkan

http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhorkan
http://alanhorkan.livejournal.com/