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Re: Modal dialog alternatives?
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Re: Modal dialog alternatives?


  • Subject: Re: Modal dialog alternatives?
  • From: Mark Dawson <email@hidden>
  • Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 12:20:14 -0700

Could you do this as split-view? You could have your extra fields at the top, pushing down your "regular" document's data. When done, you would just convert back to a single view. This method would have the advantages of being obviously per-document (similar to a sheet, but different than a dialog), and not consuming any additional screen real estate.
Mark
Hi folks,

After browsing around the documentation and various archives it seems that Apple really, really don't want people to use non-sheet modal dialogs and that there are bugs in the OS that mess up the window ordering of multiple modals even if you do code them correctly. Assuming this is so (and please someone tell me if it's not) then I'd like to ask for advice in how to lay out my UI without using modals.

I'm working on a simple accounting package. The main window shows a list of transactions with subtotal and total lines. If the user double-clicks on a transaction a modal dialog appears showing the details and allowing them to be amended or deleted. Validation is performed and updating carried out if the user clicks on OK (the default button), the dialog just goes away if cancel is clicked. A menu item allows new transactions to be input, in which case the same dialog appears but with blank or default values. When a valid new transaction is entered the fields are cleared but the dialog remains, so many transactions can be added without needing to call up the dialog box again and again.

In theory I could do this with a sheet. However being able to move the input dialog away from the main window allows the existing transactions to be viewed, which is very useful and something I doubt the client would be willing to give up.

There's more. Each transaction is assigned to a category. There is a menu item that brings up a modal dialog showing a list of the categories, and by double-clicking on an entry in the list another modal dialog is displayed allowing the selected category to be edited. Again, having the dialogs be movable means the user can see the existing items, and anyway I believe that having sheets upon sheets is frowned upon by Apple too.

Having non-modal windows makes the updating of data very messy. If, for example, I had a spreadsheet-lloking table for my transactions where users could change the data directly when do I perform the validation? If the user changes an income entry to expenditure it may be that the associated category does not allow expenditure. If the category is changed it may impose limits on the amounts that can be used. Having a modal dialog means that cross-field validation can be done when all the fields have been amended, allows for a much clearer audit trail, and makes it very clear what has been comitted to file.

So, any suggestions? I really am open to other ways of doing this, but not at the expense of the ease of use for the user.

Cheers,

Rev. Andy

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References: 
 >Modal dialog alternatives? (From: Andy Bettis <email@hidden>)

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