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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: [KDE Usability] ellipsis for configure items
From:       Celeste Lyn Paul <celeste () kde ! org>
Date:       2010-09-17 22:22:35
Message-ID: AANLkTi=Hr83Mm5hJnx=kcATmgNh_K6ykAaL5_nsu9_L8 () mail ! gmail ! com
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2010/9/13 Aurélien Gâteau <agateau@kde.org>:
> On 13/09/2010 12:02, Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas wrote:
>>> [1] http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/HIG/Ellipsis
>>
>> There is a contradiction here, "Don't use an ellipsis for selections which
>> result in actions (such as Save or Print)" and later it explains: "Do use an
>> ellipsis for the following menu items and buttons:
>> * Print..."
>>
>> Should we add an ellipsis to the "Print" menu option, or not? In my opinion,
>> if a menu item opens a dialog box to ask the user for some input, the menu
>> item text should be suffixed with an ellipsis. This convention was introduced
>> by IBM CUA: "Menu commands that require parameters to proceed are suffixed
>> with an ellipsis" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Common_User_Access
>
> I agree. I always assume the rule would be "Uses ellipsis if it opens a
> dialog box"

It's not just a dialog box. The rule should read "If further
information is required from the user in order to complete action".
For example, Save As... requires a new file name in order to complete
the action. But you can have a Help dialog simply providing
information without any further information. Configure tends to be a
task on its own, including simply looking up information not
necessarily interacting with it, and so that is why we don't require
an ellipsis. The HIG could probably be clarified in this respect.

Christoph: If your action requires further action from a user in order
to complete the action, then it would have an ellipsis. If it can
complete the action on its own and simply provides feedback (such as a
print status or download feedback message) then it does not need an
ellipsis.

~ Celeste

>
> Aurélien
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>



-- 
Celeste Lyn Paul
KDE Usability Project
KDE e.V. Board of Directors
www.kde.org
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