[TC 6.50-6.51] User interface could be improved

[white]

The importance of the user interface.

Quote from MSDN Home > MSDN Library > Win32 and COM Development > User Interface > Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers > Windows Interface Components > Secondary Windows

Layout

Because secondary windows often provide a large part of the user's interaction with your application, spend a significant amount of time on the design and layout of the controls you place in the windows. Consistency and aesthetics contribute to readability and comprehension of operations and tasks. This, in turn, has an impact on the overall usability of your application.

Personal note: The user interface can be especially important for disabled people. For instance, some people might not be able to operate a mouse.

Total Commander is not consistent in using access keys. Missing access keys in:
Configuration-Layout
Configuration-Display
Configuration-Color
Configuration-FTP
Configuration-Packer
Configuration-Help and Apply button
Find Files(search)-tab headers
Find Files(search)-Advanced tab
Find Files(search)-Advanced tab

Menu option "Net/FTP Download From List" is a strange name for an option which downloads, uploads, copies and moves from a list. Or is this functionality officially not supported? It is not described in the help file is it?

Find Files(search)-Start search, Cancel and Help buttons are not accessible by tab key.

Inconsistency in disabling options that are not applicable (already notified Christian Ghisler):
Configuration
Page: Layout
Show drive buttons - child checkboxes are disabled when not applicable
Show current directory - child checkbox is disabled when not applicable
Page: FTP
Create a log file - editbox is disabled when not applicable
PORT mode: only use ports from limited range - editboxes are disabled when not applicable
Page: Misc
Only play for long operations - editbox is disabled when not applicable
Page: ZIP packer
other (1st occurence) - editbox is enabled when not applicable. radio button is checked by activation of the editbox.
other (2nd occurence) - editbox is enabled when not applicable. radio button is checked by a change in the editbox.
Page: Folder Tabs
Limit tab title length to - editbox is enabled when not applicable. checkbox is not checked by a change in the editbox
Page: Operation
descript.ion - checkbox is enabled when not applicable. radio button is not checked by a change in the checkbox

In Total Commander the arrow keys can sometimes not be used to navigate between option button choices. Examples:
Configuration-Copy/Delete (already notified Christian Ghisler) (in my opinion a very unclear dialog)
Configuration-Zip packer

The input focus location (see quote below) in the active window is not always visible. Using the arrow keys you can walk from controls with tab stops (buttons, check boxes, etc.) to controls without tab stops (group boxes, panels, etc.) if these controls are all at the same level (a child control is not at the same level as it's parent control).
Example: Select menu File/Change attributes and press arrow down several times and see what has focus.
This problem can be avoided by avoiding nesting of controls without tab stops (i.e. a panel inside a group box) and by placing all loose controls with tab stops (i.e. buttons) in a panel. This panel can have an invisible border so the user will not now it is there.
I.e. a panel can still be placed inside a group box. Just make sure the parent of the panel is the form and not the group box.
(I used Delphi 2 for testing. Christian Ghisler uses Delphi 2 for creating Total Commander.)

Some quotes:

Quote from MSDN Home > MSDN Library > Win32 and COM Development > User Interface > Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers > Windows Interface Components > Secondary Windows

Navigation in Secondary Windows

...Always use arrow keys to navigate between option button choices and within list box controls.

Also define access keys to provide navigation to controls within a secondary window. This allows the user to access a control by pressing and holding the ALT key and an alphanumeric key that matches the access key character designated in the label of the control.

Quote from MSDN Home > MSDN Library > Win32 and COM Development > User Interface > Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers > Windows Interface Components > Menus, Controls, and Toolbars

Option Buttons

...

Interaction

...

Assign access keys to option button labels to support a keyboard interface for the buttons. You should also support the TAB or arrow keys to allow the user to navigate to and choose a button. Access keys or arrow keys automatically set the input focus to an option and select that button.

Quote from MSDN Home > MSDN Library > Win32 and COM Development > User Interface > Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers > Fundamentals of Designing User Interaction > General Interaction Techniques

Keyboard Navigation

Keyboard navigation requires a user to press specific keys and key combinations to move the input focus — the indication of where the input is being directed — to a particular location. The appearance of the input focus varies by context; in text, it appears as a text cursor or insertion point. In most other contexts, it is represented by a dotted rectangle. You should display the input focus location in any active window.

I hope Christian Ghisler and his beta testers will pay more attention to the user interface.

[WatchUer]

Hope the flaws in the interface(like the missed & shortcut in dialogs) will be fixed in the next release.

[Sheepdog]

Missing access keys in:
Configuration-L ayout

I guess you mean an Key to access the corresponding Configuration-TAB It' simply "L" (within the dialog you've got access keys)

Configuration-Display
Configuration-Color

These are Sub-dialogs of Layout and indeed only accessable by [Up/down/Left/right]

Configuration-FTP

Its Subdialog of Operation (which you can access via "O")

Configuration-Packer

It's access key is "P"

Configuration-Help

use TC-wide F1

and Apply button

That would require a new TC wide access key as [Enter] for ok, [ESC] for Cancel and [F1] for Help.

Any Ideas?

Find Files(search)-tab headers
Find Files(search)-Advanced tab
Find Files(search)-Advanced tab

You can cycle through the Tab headers by [ctrl]+[Tab]

Find Files(search)-Start search, Cancel and Help buttons are not accessible by tab key.

TC wide access key as [Enter] for ok, [ESC] for Cancel and [F1] for Help

Sorry, no time now to check the rest.

I agree that there are some improvements desirable. But we should investigate more carefully to minimize the work for @ghisler to implement them.


sheepdog

[Clo]

2Sheepdog
Hi Stefan !
- This is my solution to get the Configuration-pages directly…

VG
Claude
Clo

[white]

Missing access keys in:
Configuration-L ayout

I guess you mean an Key to access the corresponding Configuration-TAB It' simply "L" (within the dialog you've got access keys)

No that is not what I meant.
I meant some options on the pages Layout, Display, Color, FTP and Packer are missing access keys.
Take the Layout page for example. The options "Show two drive button bars", "Flat icons", "Show directory tabs", "Show buttons for history list and hotlist" do not have access keys.
Sorry I was not more clear. I wrote this down fast.

Its Subdialog of Operation (which you can access via "O")

The sub dialogs can be accessed via " " (space)

Configuration-Help

use TC-wide F1

Not my point. Look anywhere else in TC for help buttons. They have access key H.

and Apply button

That would require a new TC wide access key as [Enter] for ok, [ESC] for Cancel and [F1] for Help.
Any Ideas?

What are you talking about? The apply button normally has access key A.

Find Files(search)-tab headers
Find Files(search)-Advanced tab
Find Files(search)-Advanced tab

You can cycle through the Tab headers by [ctrl]+[Tab]

I know. Indeed access keys in tab header are not very common.
With "Find Files(search)-Advanced tab" I meant: some options on Advanced tab lack access keys (Find duplicate files and sub options).

Find Files(search)-Start search, Cancel and Help buttons are not accessible by tab key.

TC wide access key as [Enter] for ok, [ESC] for Cancel and [F1] for Help

These are not access keys and this is not the point I was trying to make. I was saying these buttons are not accessible by tab key. Note that the tab key is very different from a access key. The tab key does not execute the buttons action, it only navigates to a button. Everywhere else in TC these buttons are accessible by tab key.

The point I am trying to make:
The user interface is important (see above: The importance of the user interface) and the user interface of TC has its flaws. It lacks consistency and does not follow the Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers. I am not saying TC must follow these guidelines. These guidelines just make good sense.

[Sheepdog]

No that is not what I meant.
I meant some options on the pages Layout, Display, Color, FTP and Packer are missing access keys.
Take the Layout page for example. The options "Show two drive button bars", "Flat icons", "Show directory tabs", "Show buttons for history list and hotlist" do not have access keys.

Sorry, so I completely misunderstood you. It depends that I usually use german language pack - where you have access keys i.e. for "Two drive butonsbars" and "show buttons for history list and hotlist".

I had of course a look at the english Options-menu but I missed these missing access-keys.

The sub dialogs can be accessed via " " (space)

As well as with [up/down/left/rigtht], which I prefer .

Not my point. Look anywhere else in TC for help buttons. They have access key H.

Maybe I'm blind but I did not find any.

What are you talking about? The apply button normally has access key A.

That I did not know (perhaps because I use german -language and there it is "Übernehmen").

But I think it would be a good idea to have a TC wide key (okay it's no access key) to apply the changes.

The point I am trying to make:
The user interface is important (see above: The importance of the user interface) and the user interface of TC has its flaws. It lacks consistency and does not follow the Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers. I am not saying TC must follow these guidelines. These guidelines just make good sense.

Guess you know that you can make access key by inserting a '&' before the desired access key, e.g. "&Help" with H as access key.

Thus I would recommend you to download the english language file, and find out some 'free' access keys for the missing entrys.

Then have a look at the language files and find out the lines e.g:

Code: Select all

5114="Sho&w two drive button bars (fixed width, above file windows)"

and insert the access key that does not collide with the existing ones.

Then you can make a text file with all your (wished/recommended) changes and send it to @ghisler. And you can publish an altered Language file here, too.

I know this is a lot of work, but I think if we do this @ghisler can concentrate at his programmers task.

sheepdog

[ghisler(Author)]

The missing access keys is actually a Windows XP theme bug. I found a workaround to it, though, which will be in TC 6.51!

[white]

The missing access keys is actually a Windows XP theme bug. I found a workaround to it, though, which will be in TC 6.51!

I use Windows 98. Could you be more specific about the bug? Which controls are effected?

[Edited]
I have just installed TC 6.51. It seems the bug described above has nothing to do with the missing access keys described by me. Maybe it did have something to do with Sheepdog not finding access keys?
[/Edited]

[white]

Not my point. Look anywhere else in TC for help buttons. They have access key H.

Maybe I'm blind but I did not find any.

Pack - Help button without access key
Unpack Files - Help button without access key
Edit comment - Help button without access key
Encode file - Help button without access key
Directory tree - Help button without access key
FTP New Connection - Help button without access key
Configuration options - Help button without access key

Change attributes - Help button with access key
Associate - Help button with access key
Search - Help button with access key
System information - Help button with access key
FTP Connect - Help button with access key
Change button bar - Help button with access key
Change start menu - Help button with access key

Then you can make a text file with all your (wished/recommended) changes and send it to @ghisler. And you can publish an altered Language file here, too.
I know this is a lot of work, but I think if we do this @ghisler can concentrate at his programmers task.

It belongs to his programmers task..

[Sheepdog]

Change attributes - Help button with access key
Associate - Help button with access key
Search - Help button with access key
System information - Help button with access key
FTP Connect - Help button with access key
Change button bar - Help button with access key
Change start menu - Help button with access key

Ah, I'm not blind but misleaded: I do not use the inbuilt english-language file. Than TC behaves different.

sheepdog

[Sir_SiLvA]

Help button without access key

The Access-Keys depends on the used *.mnu-file
just edit it as you want it.

[Leif]

The Access-Keys depends on the used *.mnu-file
just edit it as you want it.

IMO, they really should be there from the start.

[norfie]

2white

It belongs to his programmers task..

Really? I don't think so. You are able to configure the behaviour like you want when you use a WCMD_ENG.LNG and edit this file to your needs. You want it, you can do it by yourself - why should do another person this work?

BTW: It's the task of translators. Programmers task is to give you/translators the possibility.

[Sheepdog]

The Access-Keys depends on the used *.mnu-file
just edit it as you want it.

IMO, they really should be there from the start.

For the english version they must be there, because the english language file is built in. And as Sir_SiLvAcan could have seen if he read the thread carefully white refers to the english language.

sheepdog

[szlori]

The Access-Keys depends on the used *.mnu-file
just edit it as you want it.

IMO, they really should be there from the start.

For the english version they must be there, because the english language file is built in. And as Sir_SiLvAcan could have seen if he read the thread carefully white refers to the english language.

sheepdog

The access-keys of dialogs don't depend on *.mnu files.
*.mnu files are for the menu.
Access keys in dialogs depend on *.lng files, but for this there's no separate English one, at least I couldn't find one in my install dir.

As far as Help button's concerned, I think it's a bad example.
But, yes, it's inconsistent.
IMHO, Help button should not have an access key (like H), since F1 is the access key and it seem to work always. Well, then H should not work in all cases, but it actually is the access key on some dialogs...

Overall, I kind of agree, that TC could be made more "professionally consistent" from this point of view.