Re: How to display errors/warnings at app startup?
Re: How to display errors/warnings at app startup?
- Subject: Re: How to display errors/warnings at app startup?
- From: Erik Buck <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 17:03:45 -0400
Is your application the sort of application that literally CAN'T open
a document until all plug-ins have loaded successfully ? If so, a
modal alert telling the user that a plug-in failed to load may be the
right approach.
Otherwise, it is better (IMHO) to store a list of everything that
went wrong and display that list in a non-modal way that lets users
get on with working if they want.
Personally, I hate applications that nag me before I can get started
working. The worst of all is a long succession of modal alerts
telling me (one by one) that a dozen plug-ins failed to load.
Interface Builder used to do that if palettes that were loaded in the
last work session were no longer available. That is particularly
annoying when I was just trying out a palette in the last work
session, and I decided I didn't need the palette anymore.
How about this general guidance (my opinion only): 1) If at all
possible, never use application modal dialogs; use window/document
modal or non-modal instead. 2) If it is not possible to avoid an
application modal dialog, consider re-architecting your application
because application modal dialogs almost never provide the best user
interaction.
As a sample of what I mean, see an Apple Design Award winner:
Lineform. "There’s not a single dialog box in the entire
application." <http://developer.apple.com/business/macmarket/
lineform.html>
How bout this design: If the document that opens needs a plug-in that
isn't available or isn't valid, use a sheet attached to the
particular document and list everything that went wrong. Better yet,
simply display a sheet saying that needed components were not
available and provide a disclosure button to enlarges the sheet and
display the detailed list of what went wrong. That way, users will
not be overwhelmed with information, but they can still determine why
the document isn't available.
Meanwhile, if the user wants to open and use a different document and
get on with their life, they can do so.
All just IMHO!_______________________________________________
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