Re: [platform-ui-dev] Question about links on an editor page

[Nick Edgar <Nick_Edgar@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Links are also more appropriate for
actions that are more like navigation, such as showing another view with
further details, or going to some other UI context.
Also when you want to provide more wording
than would look good in a button, but this should usually be reserved for
secondary, or low-impact actions.

The guidelines for links and command
buttons here describe the trade-offs well:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa511456.aspx

See also this recent post by Nielsen,
which is very much in line with the above.  He also talks about command
links (a picture of which you can see in the link above, but guidelines
for which aren't up yet):
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/command-links.html

For a good example of button vs. link
use in a web-app, check out how Gmail uses them on its main page.

Nick

âTo jazz, or not to jazz, there is
no question!â - Louis Armstrong

Dejan Glozic/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA
Sent by: platform-ui-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx

05/18/2007 10:08 AM

Please respond to
"Eclipse Platform UI component developers list."        <platform-ui-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>

To	David Whiteman <dlwhiteman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Eclipse Platform UI component developers list." <platform-ui-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>
cc	platform-ui-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx, platform-ui-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject	Re: [platform-ui-dev] Question about links on an editor page

David,

 Buttons are heavy in appearance and are appropriate for primary actions
-
actions that are the key of the visual artifact they appear in. It is
appropriate to use links for secondary actions and those that will  not
produce irrevocable state changes. In your example, if validating the file
is not the primary purpose of your editor, a link would do because it is
less heavy.

I am making this comment as the owner of the UI Forms. It is possible that
the UI team may have different opinions when it comes to the overall
Eclipse UI recommendation.

Regards,

Dejan Glozic, Ph.D.
Manager, Eclipse Development 1A
D1/R0Q/8200/MKM
IBM Canada Ltd.
Tel. 905 413-2745  T/L 969-2745
Fax. 905 413-4850



                    
                     
                     
          
             David Whiteman    
                     
                     
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             Please respond to    
                     
                  
              David Whiteman  
                     
                     
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Hello,

I am posting here as it was suggested to do so on
http://www.eclipse.org/articles/Article-UI-Guidelines/Contents.html .

I have a multi-page editor for my component.  On the first
tab of the editor, there is a link to run a validator on the
file being edited.  Is using a link appropriate, or would a
button be better?  Our human factors people say a button is
better, but I see links being used to launch actions in the
plugin editors, etc.  I don't see anything on this topic in
the Eclipse User Interface Guidelines.

Thanks in advance,
David
--
David Whiteman
mailto:dlwhiteman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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