FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: BeOS/Haiku UI question

[Stephan Assmus <superstippi@xxxxxx>]

Hi Koki,

> There is a preferences window with the following four buttons:
> 
> # Default
> # Cancel
> # Done
> # Tab close button
> 
> Say I open a window, and change one setting. Each button would have the
> following effect:
> 
> Default - Resets the settings to the 'factory default'.
> Cancel - Closes the window as if I never opened it. The change is lost.
> Done - Closes the window and saves/activates the settings.
> 
> But what about the tab Close button? Should it have the same effect as
> the Cancel button? Or should it act as the Done button? What is the
> expected behaviour in BeOS/Haiku?

I asked myself the same thing at least a couple of times. My decision was 
always one of these three:
1) Have no Close button in the tab, forcing the user to make a choice. :-\
2) Have the Close button do the same thing as Done.
3) Have no "Done" button, hopyfully suggesting to the user that simply 
closing the window will commit the settings.

It is also interesting how the settings are applied. For example, if 
settings take effect immidiately (which is the preferred way, but 
sometimes, there is no visual feedback that settings are applied 
immidiately), then there is no need for the "Done" button and 3) would be 
the preferred way. But I know that some settings are better not applied 
immidiately, for example when that is computationally expensive.
It is also worth noting that all BeOS preflets (IIRC) implicitely apply 
settings as soon as you make them, closing the window "does nothing" as the 
new settings are already active.
BTW, why not change the "Cancel" button into a "Revert" button, meaning 
that the settings are restored to what they were when you opened the 
window. This is also working best with immidiately applied settings. This 
way, none of the buttons closes the window, except for the actual close 
button in the tab.

HTH & best regards,
-Stephan