[IxDA Discuss] Should closing a window save changes?

[Jason Cyr]

Functionality such as Save or Delete should be specifically performed
user actions, they should never be inferred.

When a user is editing an "object" in a window and closes that window we
(as the interface) cannot guess at what they perceived would happen. Why
would it be more correct to save the object than delete it?

A similar situation would be in the case of an online form... The user
fills out the form then clicks a link to elsewhere in the site. The form
obviously wouldn't be submitted.

Jason


-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
Sebi Tauciuc
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 2:58 PM
To: Al Selvin
Cc: discuss at lists.interactiondesigners.com
Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Should closing a window save changes?

Hi,

I am going to skip the 'it depends on your users' part (because I have a
strong feeling about this)  and tell you my opinion:
X should not save. Because it is x (it has a 'Delete' or 'Cancel' sound
to
it) and because it (probably) has a red background. No matter how modern
and
Google-Docs-Save-and-Close oriented your users are, I doubt they would
be
very confident that X actually saves the data.
I had a similar dilemma once and I chose to change the x alltogether, to
a
more suggestive icon. But that one really depends :)
I would also consider disabling the x to avoid any confusion.

But I wouldn't make it save...

Sebi

On 3/14/07, Al Selvin <alselvin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> We have an application with a dialogue box that allows users to enter
> text. Normally there is an OK and Cancel button, users click OK to
> save and close the window, Cancel to close without saving. In Windows
> (there are also Mac and Linux versions), currently closing the window
> by clicking the X in upper right has the same behaviour as clicking
> Cancel (closes without saving).
>
> Is this proper? We've had a change request that clicking the X should
> save the changes.
>
> I also now wonder if we should prompt the user (e.g. "Close without
> saving your changes?").
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Al
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-- 
Sergiu Sebastian Tauciuc
http://www.sergiutauciuc.ro/en/
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