RE: [platform-help-dev] Changed behavior of <topic> elements with out hr

[birsan@xxxxxxxxxx]

I've experimented with a couple of ideas in the tree, and so  far the
following seems the best:

- clicking plus/minus expands/collapses the tree
- clicking on a node display the content associated with that node
- double clicking on a node expands/collapses the node

The problem with this approach and also with the behavior you expect is
accessibility. Browsers use the up/down arrow keys to scroll the page.
Regular native tree widgets use the up/down arrow to expand/collapse a
node. Since help is done in html, if we do not expand a node upon selection
(i.e. hit enter on a node), we cannot expand it with up/down arrows. I
think it would be a bad idea to override the default browser key handling
code.

Unless we come up with a good solution that addresses the accessibility
problem described above, we will leave the tree as is.




                                                                                                                                           
                    "Pomeroy, Christal"                                                                                                    
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                    platform-help-dev-admin@e       Subject:     RE: [platform-help-dev] Changed behavior of <topic> elements with out     
                    clipse.org                       hrefs                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                           
                    05/07/2002 11:24 AM                                                                                                    
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On a related note, we have observed that there seems to be only one
selection area for each of the nodes, including those that have children,
in
the TOC. This means that whether you pick the expand/collapse icon to the
left of the node label, or whether you pick the label itself, you get the
same behaviour (i.e., the node's underlying hierarchy is revealed/hidden).

This is just a little unexpected:

** On expansion - Expected behaviour: when the tree is in its 'collapsed'
state, you pick the label on the root node expecting just to see the
related
topic. If you are interested in the topic, you pick on the '+' icon to its
left to expand the tree. If the node has no associates href, the topic
currently displayed does not change (as per Kari's note below).
   Actual behavior: as you pick topics, you get the tree, and  if you're
not
interested, you have to pick again to hide the tree.

** On collapse - Expected behaviour: when the tree is in its 'expanded'
state, you pick the label on the root node just to see that root topic.
   Actual behaviour: you pick the root node in your tree, but the tree
collapses and you have to reselect the root node if you want to see the
nested topics again.

Two questions:
1) Was this behaviour also a conscious decision based on usability
feedback?
2) Is it possible to process selection events on a expand/collapse icon
separately from selection events on the corresponding node label? (It looks
like they are separate entities since the cursor shape is different when
you
hover over one vs. the other.)

Thanks,
Christal


-----Original Message-----
From: khalsted@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:khalsted@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 9:50 AM
To: platform-help-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [platform-help-dev] Changed behavior of <topic> elements
without hrefs


Somewhat recently (although I'm not sure when) the behavior of "empty"
nodes on the nav tree changed. In the past, when you clicked on a <topic>
element that has a label but no href, the node would expand (if it had
children), and nothing would happen in the content frame; if you had
previously been viewing a topic, it would not go away. Now, when you click
on <topic> with no href, the content frame clears. We have been designing
our navigation trees based on the previous functionality, which was working
well for us.

Was this a conscious design decision, or an accidental change of function?
If it was the previous, what was the reasoning? If the latter, let me know
and I'll open a defect.

Thanks.

Kari Halsted
User Assistance PDT
IBM Canada - Toronto Software Lab
(905) 413-3331 / tl 969-3331 / D3-238

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.  To keep our faces toward
change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength
undefeatable.
-- Helen Keller

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