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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: Radio button group highlighting (was: UI feedback from a Linux
From:       Dave Leigh <dave.leigh () cratchit ! org>
Date:       2000-04-19 22:07:49
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Dirk Hennig wrote:

> I drawed my idea of making some kind of slider and attached it to this mail. The look may not \
> be cool at the moment, but what do you think of the general idea?

I think your slider idea has a lot going for it... it's immediately understandable, it models \
real-world objects, and it looks cool.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of two things against it.  The first is minor:  a \
radio button visually tells the user that all he has to do is click on an option to select it, \
just like the buttons on a car radio.  The slider suggests that the user should click on the \
thumb and drag it to the new option, which is slightly more difficult.  Of course, it should \
allow you to click on the option as well, but it's not obvious that this can be done.

The second is less minor:  Radio buttons can be grouped horizontally, vertically, or in rows \
and columns.  I might have a group of options 3 columns wide and 6 rows high if I wanted, \
grouped together (although I'd try my best to avoid it or use a different control, like a \
listbox).  I'm not sure how this would be visually represented in an unconfusing manner.  You \
could, of course, simply ban such arrangements and decree that a drop-down list or listbox \
should be used.



--
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    http://www.cratchit.org/dleigh


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