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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Some thoughts on toolbars in KDE
From:       "Jos Poortvliet" <jospoortvliet () gmail ! com>
Date:       2007-10-12 18:04:49
Message-ID: 5c77e14b0710121104u7e2ad5c9qcdee855c1e310558 () mail ! gmail ! com
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On 10/12/07, Hans Chen <hanswchen@gmail.com> wrote:
> The problem I see with "normal" (edible) comboboxes is that many*
> simple don't know that you select the value with a click; instead,
> I've seen people selecting the text by dragging the mouse, or clicking
> twice (don't ask me why) to delete the previous value with
> backspace/delete (and then enter a new value).
>
> To me, it's more clear with the widget in my mockup that you simply
> click to enter a new value.
>
> However, when speaking about consistency, I would agree that it's
> better with a normal combobox on hover. (I still don't like the idea
> of always showing the combobox, though)

Well, if the arrow pointing down is there, the user already has a clue
there is something which can be done down there ;-)
If the normal text input combobox then appears when hovering, I don't
see a problem.

> ---
> * This refers to what I've seen and experienced myself; no actual
> usability tests or anything.
>
> On 10/12/07, Jos Poortvliet <jospoortvliet@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 10/12/07, James Richard Tyrer <tyrerj@acm.org> wrote:
> > > Celeste Lyn Paul wrote:
> > > > (sorry, a bit late in to the conversation...)
> > > >
> > > > I don't know if the combo box design will work.. there is no affordance that
> > > > suggests you can edit the value.  How will a user know to click the text area
> > > > to activate the combo box and add a new value?
> > >
> > > How does a user know that they can edit the value in a combo box? :-)
> >
> > There are clearly editable comboboxes, right? Like the one currently
> > used for zooming - you can click and enter a value... See screenshot
> > for such one on the left, compared to a normal one on the right.
> >
> > > The small window would look exactly like a combo box except that it
> > > wouldn't have the buttons.  If it was editable, it wouldn't look like
> > > the zoom widget that JP was talking about.
> >
> > Hans' work could be changed to show the editable combobox on mouseover
> > already, instead of only when you click as in his mockup:
> > http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/7440/widgetek9.png
> >
> > Wouldn't that be the perfect widget?
> >
> > I don't really get how your proposal would look from the email you
> > send, a more clear mockup like hans' would be cool, btw...
> >
> > > --
> > > JRT
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > kde-usability@kde.org
> > > https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability
> > >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
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