[IxDA Discuss] Label alignment left or right?

[sysscore]

Thanx for the first....


>You said: "Which OS(es) are you targeting?"<

Our applications (banking software) based on Java and the systems is win2k
and winxp. Therefore i used the ui-standards of Microsoft.

>You said: "Which OS(es) are you targeting?
On Windows, the general guideline is to left-align labels; on Mac, labels
should be right-aligned. These are guidelines, of course, and not hard-set
rules, but software tends to look more polished when it follows the visual
styles of the OS on which it runs."<

I have seen some applications for windows platform which used the
right-alignment of labels.....(i.e. adobe products)


>You said: "As was mentioned by Jon, the labels can also be placed above the
fields, but when done a lot in a UI, this will also give an unpolished
result. Generally, a label should be placed above its field only when the
label text is long, and with all other design considerations kept in mind."<

In most situations we place the labels above the fields (that's the second
alternative to horizontal placement). But we have dialogs, where are many
fields (sometimes up to 30 fields...). our old design of the property pages
i.e. had the labels above the fields but it has wasted to much space and
reduced the overview. 

In my optinion the right-alignment of labels is mostly better. But in some
situations it's difficult to scan the content. I have read it's depend on
the experience of the user and the quantity of content.


Mmmmmhhhhh....... 


Cheers

Thomas Witsack