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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: Error messages and the status bar
From:       Dirk Hennig <Dirk.Hennig () stud ! uni-hannover ! de>
Date:       2000-04-19 7:38:23
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Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> 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.

That is a very good idea. I started to design applications with a statusbar at the top,
but an error-bar as you suggest it is for error a much better think. If you want to have
the status information also good visible on top, then perhaps this top-statusbar could
change the color depending on its status: Green = waiting for user-input, Yellow =
working, but ok for user-input, Red = error. That would be quite clear for everyone.

Dirk

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