Jack D. wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Lyle Kopnicky
Sent: May 18, 2006 6:41 PM
To: Perl-Win32-Users@listserv.ActiveState.com
Subject: A system modal dialog box?
Hi folks,
I need to create a dialog box in my application that prevents
the user from doing anything else on the system until OK is
clicked. That is, the user may not interact with any other
windows, of any applications, during this time. It would be
best if the dialog box was asynchronous, so the application
could continue to process timer signals while waiting for the
user to click OK.
Is that the only choice you are offering? One "OK" button? Why would you
need to stop all applications from being accessed to just to press a button?
The end-users have a time limit to use the system. They are shown a
clock which tells them how much time they have left. At a certain point
it changes color to warn them of the impending end-of-session. At a
later point it starts beeping to indicate the imminent end. But
apparently, end-users are ignoring these things and complaining they
didn't get a proper warning, losing all their work. Our customers have
asked for a "popup" warning, which they feel would be more
"in-your-face". If it's modal, and the user can't do anything else,
they're forced to acknowledge they received the warning.
I would rethink what you *really* need here. Perhaps you could describe a
bit more about *why* you need to lock out all applications :-)
It was not my choice to add a modal dialog box, and will be an optional
feature in the product. Our customers are demanding this. If you can
think of any other way to convince the customers to forgo the modal
dialog box, let me know.
I personally hate modal dialogs - there are usually better ways to present
information to your users - or to get data input. Having been on the user
end of modal dialogs for years - most people have become immune to the
constant hassle of having to click on an OK button, only to just to continue
on with user-interaction. At a bare minimum it should offer the user a
choice.
If it's a constant hassle, then they're not immune. What choice should I
offer them? OK or not OK? The session is going to end in 5 minutes no
matter what they say....
Read a bit more about modal dialogs.
Alan Cooper (father of Visual Basic)has written what I consider to be a very
scathing book (About Face) about bad UI design and much of the content
relates to dialog boxes. It is a good read for anyone interested in making
user-friendly GUIs. I have read "About Face" but I see that he has a new one
out. I'll have to get a copy of that too.
Yeah, that book is sitting on my shelf. I read it years ago. I agree
that modal dialogs are annoying, but that is the point here. Now people
will probably just get used to them, as they say, click OK and go on.
But they can't deny having seen it. I think Cooper's advice against
dialog boxes regards times when they are unnecessarily interrupt flow.
In this case, we're trying to interrupt flow.
--
Lyle Kopnicky
Software Project Engineer
Veicon Technology, Inc.
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