marc@Apple.COM (Mark Dawson) (06/28/90)
We are proposing a window that contains checkboxed items; we wish to make it illegal to deselect all items in that window. The current solution our group has come up with is to "beep" at the user (and put up an explanitory dialog) when s/he tries to deselect the last checkbox. Problem: I don't like beeping at users. I would much rather somehow visually show that the last checkbox can't be deselected. Greying out the last checkbox would solve this, except that greyed,selected items are apparently illegal (i.e. against the Apple HIF guidelines). Do any of you out there have any other solutions? Thanks, Mark -- --------------------------------- Mark Dawson Service Diagnostic Engineering AppleLink: Dawson.M Apple says what it says; I say what I say. We're different ---------------------------------
jmpdude@Apple.COM (Mike Puckett) (06/28/90)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are proposing a window that contains checkboxed items; we wish to make it illegal to deselect all items in that window. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Instead of using check boxes, it would be easier to just use the List Manager to create a list whereby at least one item is selected at all times. You could even write your own LDEF so that the selection of items looks like check boxes if you want. Perhaps I didn't understand you original post in exactly your terms, but this is how I solved a similar delimma. jmpdude@apple.com
lsr@Apple.COM (Larry Rosenstein) (06/28/90)
In article <42419@apple.Apple.COM> marc@Apple.COM (Mark Dawson) writes: >has come up with is to "beep" at the user (and put up an explanitory dialog) >when s/he tries to deselect the last checkbox. > >Problem: I don't like beeping at users. I would much rather somehow visually >show that the last checkbox can't be deselected. Greying out the last checkbox If this is some kind of modal dialog (or a modeless dialog in which there is an Apply button), then I would gray out the OK/Apply button. This prevents the user from selecting an invalid set of options, but doesn't prevent the user from temporarily making an invalid selection. If the user has 1 checkbox checked and wants to change the selection then with your interface s/he must select the new checkbox before deselecting the old. With my suggestion, s/he can make the changes in either order, provided s/he makes both changes. If you think disabling OK/Apply is not explicit, you can add an explanation to the botton of the dialog. This won't be annoying to an experienced user, and will help explain things to the new user. (In System 7, you could use the Help Manager to explain why the button was disabled.) -- Larry Rosenstein, Object Specialist Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave, MS 46-B Cupertino, CA 95014 AppleLink:Rosenstein1 domain:lsr@Apple.COM UUCP:{sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!lsr