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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Error messages and the status bar
From:       "Steven D'Aprano" <dippy () mikka ! net ! au>
Date:       2000-04-15 5:45:18
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Torsten Rahn's comments about the Netscape, Explorer and Konquorer
logos makes a very important point: for maximum visibility, you put
things at the top of the window, and the bottom of the window has
minimum visibility.

In my job I use a horrible accounting package that uses the status bar
for displaying all but the most fatal errors. As a result, even after
two years of using it 8 hours a day, I still find myself puzzled when
the software doesn't react the way I'm expecting it to, and it often
takes me seconds to remember to look at the status bar. Because the
staus bar is not very visible, the user has to make a conscious
decision to look at it.

Some of my other workmates, who aren't as confident around computers
as I am, don't notice the status bar at all.

So, the point is, the status bar should not be used for important
messages or displaying errors. It should only be used for displaying
information which *might* be useful or interesting, but isn't vital.

There was some talk a while ago about the best way to get rid of
confirmation dialogs and error dialogs. The suggestion was made that
the status bar could be used for this. This is not a good idea because
error messages need to be obvious, not hidden away at the bottom of
the window.

This is my suggestion:

On a minor error, a "error bar" unfolds or slides down from the
menu/toolbar/whatever is at the top of the window. The animation will
catch the user's peripheral vision and draw their eye to it, but
without taking away their ability to keep working if they choose to.
Once the error has been handled, the error bar slides away again.

Major errors can be handled the old way, with a dialog. Of course, the
aim is for "ordinary" errors to be handled with the error bar, and
only extraordinary errors to require a dialog.

And of course, configuration being KDE's watchword, this feature
should be configurable: if the user has enough screen real estate, she
can choose to have the error bar always visible, instead of appearing
and disappearing as needed, or to switch it off and use dialogs for
everything.

As always, comments or corrections are appreciated.


-- 
Steven D'Aprano

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