Re: [flexcoders] Disabling toolbar of IE/ RIAs and the Refresh button- a potential usability problem

[Sreejith Unnikrishnan]

Sandip, here is link to how u can detect the refresh button. http://www.codeproject.com/internet/detecting_the_ie_refresh.asp You are on your own from here :-). I am sure nobody on this forum is really interested in this. This has nothing to do with Flex. Having said that, there is something that I was thinking on this topic. In the wide web world, an internet application that is aimed at the normal user (unordained in the RIA world), it is possible that the user clicks on the refresh button to reload some data, the same way he/she is used to in the HTML world. Then there IS a problem. And I know this is not a Flex problem. This is a problem with ANY RIA. It might be raked up somebody like Jacob Nielsen who once famously said and I quote "About 99% of the time, the presence of Flash on a website constitutes a usability disease. Although there are rare occurrences of good Flash design (it even adds value on occasion), the use of Flash typically lowers usability. In most cases, we would be better off if these multimedia objects were removed. Flash tends to degrade websites for three reasons: it encourages design abuse, it breaks with the Web's fundamental interaction principles, and it distracts attention from the site's core value." http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001029.html (that I discarded it to the same folder that contains the article that said Frames are kludges that break important parts of the Web and Why Frames Suck is the truth for I cannot imagine the LiveDocs without frames!) ... that then resulted in Flash Usability Article from Macromedia that said Flash 99% good ... http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/articles/flash99good.html At the end of all the agreement is that technologies such as Flash are moving the user OUT of the restrictions and constraints of a browser - whatever browser that is. I would even like to see a RIA browser that does not have the REFRESH, BACK,FORWARD buttons in them! For the current problem, I think the best solution is to provide a eye-catching icon next to a datagrid or any container that invites the user to click if needs to refresh the data and I think Flex handles it wuite beautifully. Infact that is the strength and foundation of an RIA technology! Sree Nick Weekes wrote: Sandip,   Forget about browser specifics like the refresh button, listen for events broadcast by your flex app instead, to give you an indication of whats going on.    For example, the initialize event could be used to determine if your application/component has started, or if the refresh button has been pressed and forced the app to begin re-loading itself.   Im really new to Flex myself, and Im sure some of the veterans of the list have better approaches to this...   Cheers,   Nick From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Sandip Patil Sent: 06 December 2005 12:06 To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [flexcoders] Disabling toolbar of IE Hi Neek,   I agree with you that I will use session etc. In fact I did navigation well upto end of my application i.e.depending upon username & password. But let me clear my doubt again. Sorry,it might be wrong thinking by me again. How I will understand that IE's refresh button is clicked.Once I come to know this then its easy for me to navigate.    Sandip Nick Weekes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Sandip,   Firstly, let me agree with Sree in his useful comments to you yesterday, there is a possibility that you are going about this in too much of an html way rather than flex way.  Disabling anything like buttons/toolbars is going to really annoy your users, as its their choice whether or not they are there, not yours.    I gather you are trying to avoid the user reloading the app from the beginning, well why not store a session variables/cookies etc that maintains state/navigation or whatever, then if the user does hit refresh you can query your session vars and navigate accordingly from within your flex app.   Cheers,   Nick   From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of sandip_patil01 Sent: 06 December 2005 08:41 To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com Subject: [flexcoders] Disabling toolbar of IE Hi All, I tried various ways to handle back & refresh button but its not working. So anybody know how to disable toolbar of IE in Flex.So that user will not able to hit Back/refresh button of IE. S P Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less -- Flexcoders Mailing List FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt Search Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS  Visit your group "flexcoders" on the web.    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.