One guide here is that a button is normally regarded as triggering an
action, and should not do or indicate anything more or less (except that
the action is currently not available due to either context or other
settings).
Ie. Ideally status as a result of a button action should not be part of the
button itself.
Myles.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Grant Black [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, September 03, 1999 4:29 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list delphi
> Subject: RE: [DUG]: One button or two
>
> I tend to keep radio buttons just for (mutually exclusive) options in a
> form that needs to be filled in.
>
> On a toolbar I believe that you really have to use the expected idiom
> which is flat style buttons or icons.
>
> What prompted me to ask the question is that I was going to use one
> button to save on space but we have a horrid VB app from an Aussie
> company where only a subtle text changes on the button indicates the
> mode of operation. The amount of times I have seen people (including
> myself) waiting for a call when it was not in the correct mode....
>
> I experimented with toggle switches - they look horrible because again
> they are not the usual MS style, but were the correct thing as far as
> modelling the real world.
>
> In the end, I have gone with two buttons but will also try & stick a
> 'LED' on the form to indicate that communication mode is active.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Leo Ramakers [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: Friday, 3 September 1999 15:33
> > To: Multiple recipients of list delphi
> > Subject: Re: [DUG]: One button or two
> >
> >
> > I dislike an interface that changes on me as I work, so
> > prefer option (a).
> >
> > What about a radio button with two items?
> >
> > Grant Black wrote:
> >
> > > Purely subjective UI question. What do people prefer on a
> > toolbar or
> > > form given that there is some process which can be started
> > and stopped.
> > >
> > > (a) Two buttons ie: [Start] [Stop] one of which is always
> > not enabled,
> > > (ie when the process in underway only Stop is enabled)
> > >
> > > or
> > >
> > > (b) One button which changes - ie [Start] which once the
> > process starts
> > > changes to [Stop]
> > >
> > > I suspect from what I re-call of POET and other UI books
> > that (a) is the
> > > best choice as swapping UI around on people is generally
> > considered a
> > > bad thing, but then two buttons take up twice the amount of limited
> > > screen real-estate...
> > >
> > > Grant Black
> > > Software Developer
> > > SmartMove (NZ) Ltd
> > > Phone: +64 9 361-0219 extn 719
> > > Fax : +64 9 361-0211
> > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > > Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
> >
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> > New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List -
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> > Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
> >
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