[installer of TC 11.50rc1] Wrong tab order

[white]

In a post about the inireloc tool I wrote:

3. In the dialog where you set the location of the ini files, the tab order deviates from the other dialogs. In this dialog the tab order is from top to bottom and from left to right, which is common for programs, including installers. In the other dialogs the Initool uses tab order: Next, Cancel, Back, Options. Most installers use a normal tab order and the Next button as default button. I recommend to do the same for all dialogs. I suggest to use that too for the TC installers, which behave similar to the Initool (and contain bugs in the tab order as well).

4. "<< Back" and "Next >>" are unusual too. Most installers use a single < or >.

5. The ">>" indicates that more dialogs will follow before the installation is started. With most installers the "Next >" button in the last dialog changes into a "Install" button (without >). The Initool and the TC installers behave incorrectly in that regard.

These points apply to the TC installer as well. I recommend to use normal tab order in every dialog of the installer, like most installers do. The tab order is now quite inconsistent:

Tab order in the dialogs of the TC installer when installing in a clean Windows Sandbox and choosing Next every time.

• Dialog 1: Select language
  Normal tab order (top to bottom, left to right).
  Language listbox → Program info → Next → Cancel
• Dialog 2: Install other languages?
  Next button first, then all buttons, then the option.
  Next button → Cancel button → Back button → Yes/No
• Dialog 3: Installation folder
  Normal tab order except for the Back button, which comes last.
  Input field → browse button → Next button → Cancel button → Back button
• Dialog 4: ini location
  Tab order without much logic.
  Next button → Change location button → Cancel button → Back button
• Dialog 5: Shortcut creation
  Next button first, then all buttons, then the options in normal order. (same method as dialog 2)
  Next button → Cancel button → Back button → "In the Windows Start menu" → "On the Desktop" → This user/All users → Username listbox

[ghisler(Author)]

Sorry, I will not change this at this time. When the next button isn't the first, the focus goes to whatever else is the first item, so the user can't just press Enter for next. I would have to manually set the focus elsewhere. Too much can go wrong, so I won't change it this late in the beta test. Maybe in a later version.

Moderator message from: ghisler(Author) » 2024-12-05, 08:16 UTC

Moved to will not be changed

[white]

Sorry, I will not change this at this time. When the next button isn't the first, the focus goes to whatever else is the first item, so the user can't just press Enter for next.

Just make sure the first item isn't a button and the user can press Enter every time, because the Next button is the default button.

The only problematic dialog seems to be the one for changing the location of the ini file. Currently, it only contains the 'Change ini file location' button in the upper part. One solution would be to add a groupbox or an invisible panel that can receive focus. However, the button 'Change ini file location' shouldn't be a button anyway. The button doesn't open a modal dialog with OK and Cancel buttons but closes the current dialog and opens the next dialog with Back and Next buttons. This is mixing up 2 different ways of designing this. Instead of the button 'Change ini file location', there should be radio boxes with the labels Yes and No, that answer the question whether or not to change the location of the ini file. This way, the user can proceed normally by selecting the Next button.

Too much can go wrong, so I won't change it this late in the beta test. Maybe in a later version.

You could work on the installer separately. That would allow for improvements without impacting the current TC release cycle.