[Tutor] Query about using Pmw entry widget...

[Alan Gauld]

"Luke Paireepinart" <rabidpoobear at gmail.com> wrote

>> Its easier for the programmer but much worse for the user.
>> We should always catch erroneous input as early as possible.
>
> The difference between a webpage and an application here is that if 
> the
> user enters something incorrectly, he'll know as soon as he tries to
> submit it, without having to wait for the page to reload,

Only a few seconds difference, he's still done all the work
of filling in 10 or more fields and now has to back to look
for the error.

> That's why I just purchased 'The Essential Guide To User Interface
> Design' from Half-Price Books!

I haven't seen that one, but I do like Abbout Face by Cooper - the
guy who wrote the first version of Visual Basic before MS bought it.

> but it's also annoying to have something restrict your input.

But if the input is wronmg better to get it right first time
rather than have the same error flagged to you after you've
stopped thinking about that bit of data.

> and I get some kind of visual warning that my entry is incorrect.
> NOT a dialog box, I hope, but some kind of red warning label next to 
> the
> entry widget or something.

I agree, dialogs are a pain for this.
But as I understand it (without having used it!) PMW actually
does give a visual indication by changing the colour of the
field to indicate an error rather than a dialog..

Also the validator is called on each keystroke *as well as*
when it loses focus.

> Basically I don't want to see an entry box that behaves differently 
> than
> a normal entry box (only accepts integers, for example).

But there are quite a few like that in Windows. Several of the
config tools regulate input. Think if the entry fields for inputting
an IP address.They autommatically jump to the next box
after 3 digits, and they won't let you enter a number above 255.

Similarly password entries are diffeerent to normal because
they show up asstars or blobs or sometimes as nothing at
all (I don't like those even though they are more secure!)


Alan G.