[IxDA Discuss] Stuffing focus to textbox controls

[adamya ashk]

In this case the dev team is quoting 'Windows behavior' correctly. You
can see an example in Internet Explorer. Go to Tools>Internet
Options>Connections>Lan Settings.

However, This is only right in a 'Windows' context because the OS is
also customized to be accessible through keyboard shortcuts only and
being able to function in the environment without a mouse.

Try pressing 'Alt' on the window above and the reason for this
hierarchy will become immediately clear (Keyboard shortcuts will
appear and the the focus will be on the first option; if you select
the third option down by pressing tab twice and then the space bar the
fields below will activate but the focus stays on the third check box
so that you can easily un-select it)

The inactive sub-fields in windows are a clunky solution in my
opinion. In tests I have seen many new users click on these fields and
then wonder aloud why they can't fill them in.

The correct solution would depend on your context, you could try
visually emphasizing the options separately along with selection or
even breaking ;) with the Windows way and auto selecting the option
when a sub is clicked. I am sure your dev team would see the error of
their ways during simple usability test with users.

HTH and is not too late.

-Adamya

On 6/30/06, Jim Drew <cfmdesigns at earthlink.net> wrote:
> [Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted material.]
>
> This may relate to the recent auto-tabbing thread...
>
> For using a proxy server to establish an internet connection, we have one checkbox for enabling the proxy, which makes active a textbox for the server and port plus another checkbox for authorization.  Turning on the second checkbox enables username/password fields.
>
> What should happen with the input focus when the checkboxes are turned on?  Should it stay where the user last clicked, or should it move to the newly enabled textbox, or go somewhere else.  (The first textbox has default cue text in it of "server:port"; the other textboes have no default content.)
>
> I'm of the opinion that the user's next action is always going to be to fill in the textbox, so moving the focus helps the user.  ("Always": well, unless he is just playing around, seeing that the controls work.  If he is *using* them, then pretty close to "always".)
>
> The response from the Dev team has been "Maybe that's how who you used to work for did it, but that's not how Windows does it, so we won't either."
>
> Is that true?  I couldn't find any examples of enabling sub-controls in Windows Explorer (or Internet Explorer or Word) with a little poking around, so I can't be sure that the claim is true.  (And if it is true, does that just mean Microsoft needs to improve their behaviors?)  Can anyone point me to a handful of examples, be they from Microsoft products or otherwise?
>
> Thanks.
>
> -- Jim Drew
>    Seattle, WA
>
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