[IxDA Discuss] Behavior of "Previous" button

[Jim Drew]

On Jul 25, 2007, at 1:52 PM, SPatrick at amig.com wrote:

> When in a web-based, form-based application with multiple pages  
> (Previous,
> Next buttons on each page), should the previous button validate/ 
> save dirty
> data when clicked? Or should user be warned that data on current  
> page is
> dirty and be asked to make a decision to either save or continue to
> previous page?
>
> Aside from standards, what would your preference be?  Would you  
> assume that
> changing data and then clicking Previous would automatically save your
> change, or discard it?

First, if you're going to warn them, warn them *before* they click  
instead of after, such as with text by the button that says "(Data  
will be discard if you don't save)".  They can get the info at their  
leisure and never have a stop dialog in their face.

That said, text saying "(Data will be saved)" takes even less space!   
And it puts a positive spin on the message, too.

What would my own preference be?  That would depend on why I am  
likely to click Previous.  If my goal is to go back, change an  
answer, and then come back to where I left off and continue, I would  
want info preserved.  If my goal is to go back and change something  
which will send me down a different path, then the info I entered on  
the current page is likely bogus and I don't want it saved.  If my  
goal is to find a way to exit the entire app -- goo back to the very  
start, many pages ago, then I don't need data saved.

-- Jim