Hi Chip,
Your welcome and I know a Tree View has it's limitations as David kind of
points out, in terms of tabbing when navigating down the list. For a list
allows you to make as many columns as you so desire.
So, doing the multi column list would accomplish the desired affect using
the Hotkeys as Rick had pointed out.
Now moving down a Tree View can be very quick if the titles are sorted but
expanding is the issue but can be done using a click or space bar in a Tree
View along with a tab, just depends on which way you want to go with it.
Many different approaches to this issue and reading my Uninstall program
can be confusing only because of how I had set up the use of an ID for each,
basing it on what power of 10 the ID resides in...
then the sorting which is a parallel array which gets all its data loaded
when looping through the WMI command for installed programs. Each sub level of
each program loaded into the column of the array and sorting depending on what
you want to sort, by name, by date and so on.
Your controls and edit fields could be placed in such an array and loaded
upon request from your data base or file, which ever you are using for your
program.
Maybe some day I will clean up that Uninstall program for readability and
use of the Tree View erasing and making...
It has it's flaws for some times the uninstall does not even work. At least
you get a list of programs and the properties along with links to information
supplied by it's install. For each program has a sub level of 6 to 8 properties
which include links to the program makers web site, like GW Micro does.
Anything to help if I can Chip.
Bruce
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 7:34 AM
Subject: RE: form design/layout question
Kevin,
WE xml dialogs don't have tabbed controls, but as you and Bruce and Rick
say, we have ways of simulating them. I like Rick's hotkey and showing
multiple groups (with labels), and having the hotkey jump between them. I
like it because a sighted user can see what's required at once, but I was
hoping to hear from low vision users; perhaps there just aren't that many
here.
Chip
-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Morales [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2013 4:04 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: form design/layout question
Hi Chip,
I personally would choose to go down a list of groups, because it
certainly makes the app smaller. This may also have to do with small
and large screens and their resolutions. Have you experimented with
tab controls? This could fix your problems when working with large
sets of controls. The list box approach could be a simulation of a tab
control, if you don't have tab controls available.
Cheers,
Kevin
On 10/17/13, Chip Orange <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> I am designing a form where I need to get a significant amount of info
from
> the user (perhaps 15 to 20 controls). I can fit all the controls on one
> large form, and I'll try to group them into groups with titles and visible
> frames to make them appear logical, and not just scattered all over the
> screen.
>
>
>
> Or, the alternative, would be to do something like the WE control panel,
> where you have some listbox or treeview on the left controlling which
> groups
> of fields you see on the right. I have at least 3 groups of controls,
> perhaps 5 if I did it this way. The user would be required to go through
> the listbox and visit all 5 groups and tab to the right and enter the info
> for each group.
>
>
>
> This seems to me to be more tedious when all the fields are required (not
> when you're just trying to jump to one particular field to make a change).
>
> In my case all my fields are blank, and the user can type in the info or
> has
> a choice of command buttons to retrieve the data.
>
>
>
> What I'd like to know is which type of window would you rather work with?
> One with all the fields seen at once, or one where you must go down a
> listbox of groups, and then go throu each group of fields, and then return
> to the listbox?
>
>
>
> Reasons would be appreciated. Especially if low-vision users might find
> one
> format better.
>
>
>
> I will say that I could be certain, when a low resolution monitor is being
> used, that the second method would more likely fit on screen.
>
>
>
> Thanks for any thoughts.
>
>
>
> Chip
>
>
>
>
