From: barham@qut.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: A Style Guide Question
Date: 23 Nov 92 11:38:53 EST
Organization: Queensland University of Technology

To:           "Tim Barham" <CBE2/TIM>
From:         "Tim Barham" <CBE2/TIM>
Date:         23 Nov 92 11:09:56 GMT+1000
Subject:      Re: 
X-mailer:     Pegasus Mail v2.3 (R4).

wille@june.cs.washington.edu (Robert Wille) writes:

[stuff that he is agreeing to deleted]

> I have to agree that for requesters having two or more string gadgets,
> Enter is not a good choice for a key to perform the default action.
> It should simply go on to the next gadget.  However, for a simple
> requester having a string gadget and OKAY and CANCEL buttons, it
> is incredibly annoying to have to press Enter and then click on
> Okay.

Just my $2.00 worth (I have an over inflated opinion of the value of
my opinions %^)...

Really, requesters (requestors?) need to be the same from requester
to requester, from application to application.  I think it is risky
having a rule like "If there's only one string gadget then <Enter>
closes the requester performing the default action, but if there is
more than one string gadget then <Enter> selects the next string
gadget".

If we are going to be consistent then we need some strict guidlines
to follow for EVERY requester for EVERY application.  I think
Commodores guide-lines are pretty good here.  This is how I interpret
them...

1. <Enter> deactivates the current string gadget, WITHOUT activating
   another string gadget (anyway, I think it would be silly if it
   did because rule 2 takes care of that).

2. <Tab> deactivates the current string gadget and activates the next
   string gadget.

3. When no string gadgets are activated you can press keyboard short-
   cut keys for any of the gadgets.

4. (This one is more my opinion, but it seems consistent)
   <RAMIGA><Shortcut> SHOULDN'T select the appropriate gadget when
   a string gadget is activated - this could very easily conflict
   with standard menu short cuts (perhaps <RAMIGA><Shortcut> should be
   reserved for menu shortcuts only?

So, all you need to do to select Ok for example (if the "O" is the
shortcut key) is press enter the "O" - easy!  If there is more than
one string gadget, tab between them.  Press enter when you are
finished and then the appropriate shortcut key.

>
> Robert
>
> There is evidence that the brain is like a computer.  If that's true,
> then there really aren't any stupid people.  Just people running DOS.

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| Tim Barham     | If it's green or it wriggles, its biology.        |
| App Programmer | If it stinks, it's chemistry                      |
| CBE Section    | If it doesn't work, it's physics                  |
| QUT            | If it's crippling your machine, it must be MS DOS |
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-- 

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| t.barham@qut.edu.au (Tim Barham) - "Dances with Mice"              |
| Applications Programmer for the Computer Based Education Section,  |
| Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia      |
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| "You're so open-minded that your brain leaked out..."              |
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer