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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: DialogBoxes (was: Cookie window popup)
From:       Sean Pecor <sean () digitalspinner ! com>
Date:       2000-09-10 11:11:26
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Hey folks,

On Sun, 10 Sep 2000, dhennig@altavista.de wrote:
> Right now, a Message Box is always a window. So it should be called Message
> Window. And that is the problem: I don't like the idea of a new window
> arising, that blocks the original window. A box inside the window sounds
> much better. A Message Windows that does not block is ok anyway.

I'm jumping in late, and may be echoing someone else's suggestion, but why 
not try using transparencies to allow blocking but to allow a convenient way 
to access information underneath? For example: A dialog box for AppA pops up 
over AppA's window, with the mouse cursor appearing within the dialog's 
interior. If you move the mouse cursor just beyond the region of the dialog 
box, then the dialog box could go 80% transparent. You can easily read and 
refer to what's underneath while still maintaining control of the dialog box. 
Moving the cursor back into the dialog boxes' region would make it 100% 
opaque again. There is less clicking and more intuitive use of the mouse in 
this style? Personally, I don't like dialog boxes popping up outside of the 
region of the application calling up the dialog box. It's too confusing. I 
also hate task switching or excessive mouse clicking to get to the underlying 
window to read or copy something, then clicking back to the dialog again. 
Besides, I prefer full screen windows over cascading and I would wager that 
over half of emerging computer users prefer full screen windows too. In fact, 
I have yet to see a non-programmer working in anything OTHER than full screen 
mode. 

Sean.

-- 
Digital Spinner, Inc.
802.948.2020
sean@digitalspinner.com

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