Buttons in dialog boxes are not pressed. Windows XP Dialog Boxes. Shift key and computer mouse

Most PC users don't make full use of their computer mouse. In this article, you will see tips for using a mouse and learn the secrets and convenient functions in working with a mouse that make many tasks easier when working with a computer.

Mouse wheel.

Everyone is familiar with the mouse wheel, with the help of it it is very convenient to turn pages, release and raise text, etc. But the mouse wheel has other handy features, some of which are listed below:

• The mouse wheel is not only a wheel, but also a third button. By clicking on any link with the mouse wheel, the page will open in a new tab, it is very convenient if you do not want to leave this page and separately see what is on the link. You can also close a tab in the browser with the mouse wheel, just click on the tab with the wheel and not on the cross with the left button.
• Also in the browser, when viewing large pages, for example, on to go down, by pressing the middle button (wheel) on this page, you can quickly move up, down, left and right, to increase or decrease the speed, you just need to move the cursor further.
• You can also enlarge and reduce the document on web pages, font, etc., using the mouse wheel, just hold down the Ctrl key and scroll the wheel up or down, respectively, increase or decrease the size.
• Move forward and backward when browsing the Internet. By holding down the Shift key and scrolling the mouse wheel, you can move forward or backward through the pages in the browser.
• Some mice allow you to move the wheel left or right, which also allows you to move through the pages in the browser.

Fast selection.

If you double-click on any word, it will be highlighted, and if you click three times, then the entire paragraph will be selected, which also allows you to select the desired text much faster.

Shift key and computer mouse.

Very convenient to use this function if you need to select a large text, and wait for the scrolling until all this is highlighted, because when selecting text, the mouse drops for a very long time, then just click with the cursor in the place from which you want to select the text, then hold down the Shift key and click at the end of the text, all stand out at once and no need to wait.

Alt key and computer mouse.

Bonus tip: Hold down the Alt key while dragging and selecting text in text editor, will allow you to selectively select text. This can be useful if the text is in a column.

Ctrl key and computer mouse.

• If you do not have a mouse, for example, you have a laptop / netbook where you only use a touchpad, then you can hold down Ctrl and left-click on the link, it will open in a new window.
• While holding down the Ctrl key, you can select certain objects, for example, you need to select some scattered films from a huge list, to facilitate the task, you just need to hold down Ctrl and left-click on the desired objects.

Side buttons on the mouse.

On some computer mice there are side buttons that can be programmed for a specific function, they can be changed, and what to install is up to you, the main thing is to make working at the computer with these buttons even more convenient.

This function is useful if you use a lot of dialog boxes, i.e. their frequent use, for example, you need to agree or reject some changes (Ok / Cancel), then by enabling this function, the cursor will automatically be moved to the button "Ok", "Accept", etc. when the dialog box exits, all you need to do is click, you no longer need to move the mouse.

How do I enable this feature? Everything is quite simple: "Start -> Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Mouse". A window will open in which you need to go to the "Pointer Options" tab and put a checkmark next to "On the default button".

Window management with the mouse.

• Double clicking at the top, on the field, open window, it will automatically decrease or increase.
• Also, by double-clicking on the upper left edge of the screen, the window will close, by clicking once, a special window control menu will come out.

Own cursor.

Surely many people know that the cursor can be changed to your own, all this is done in the same control panel, when it was already mentioned on this site that the article is not very great, but I think the main thing will be clear the very course of changing the standard "arrow" to more colorful, you can download cursors on the Internet.

I think these secrets of the computer mouse will help you to make your work at the computer more convenient, because the functions that can be performed with the mouse will now increase.

Dialog boxes, which were already mentioned in the article, the user sees in the process of working with applications (programs) and herself. They appear when the system or program contacts the user with a request for any necessary information to continue working or to confirm some actions.

Dialog boxes are always in the foreground, closing the rest open (running). As a rule, they do not change in size, and they can be closed only: after confirming the selection (OK, Apply, Cancel) or by clicking on the closing button.

Windows dialog boxes can be modal or modeless.

Modal windows stop the application and before you continue to work, you must execute all the commands in this window and close it.

Modal dialog boxes can be of the form:

It is necessary to enter (select) data or parameters required to continue working with the program.
Notifies the user that an action has been taken or that an operation has been completed.
Allows the user to select an action, the result of which will be the continuation of work with the program or its termination.

Modeless windows do not stop the application (program). Without closing the windows, you can go to the document or program window and work with them, also returning with a click of the mouse to the dialog box. An example is the Help window.

Dialog boxes can be for different purposes and have different fields and buttons to respond to the request. Complex dialog boxes are multi-page and consist of several tabs (bookmarks).

A Windows dialog box usually consists of a title bar and window elements.

Dialog boxes provide a set of different fields and buttons for responding to a request.

Basic elements of the dialog box

Its content depends on the purpose of the window, but in general, the set of elements is repeated in all applications of the operating room. Windows systems... It:

tabs (complex window);

command buttons;

flags (on / off switches);

radio buttons (switches);

input fields (text fields);

lists and drop-down lists;

slider (sliding control button).

Consider the main types of elements:

	closing the window with saving all parameters and changes made
	closing the window without saving the parameters and changes made
	saving all parameters and changes without closing the window
	the user can enter text into the rectangular area from the keyboard by clicking inside the field with the mouse
	in this field, values ​​can be entered both from the keyboard and by clicking on the buttons on the right, the up arrow increases the parameter values, the down arrow decreases
	it contains a list of objects available for selection, if the list is larger than the field size, then scroll bars will be visible to view the entire list, you can select an object by clicking on the desired mouse
	it displays the value of the current parameter, you can view all possible values ​​by clicking on the button - the triangle on the right
	a circle with a colored dot inside or without a dot (radio button) - selection of only one of the mutually exclusive, replacing each other parameters (as in Russian the union "or") Clicking the left mouse button marks the user's choice, the other buttons are unchecked
	A "checkmark" inside a square field (checkbox), with its help you can enable / disable the parameters, the description of which is located next to each other, at the same time you can select several parameters at the same time (corresponds to the conjunction "and")
	clicking on the button activates the context help mode of the dialog box, for this click on the selected element, a rectangular area with an explanation text will immediately appear
	closing the window
	moving left / right along the ruler allows you to smoothly adjust the parameter value in a certain range (increase / decrease), for example, volume, mouse sensitivity, keyboard autorepeat speed, etc.
	in a number of dialog boxes, similar parameters are grouped in tabs: two or more; tabs are located immediately below the title bar of the window; you can work with only one tab at a time, the active one is in the foreground, completely occupying the window; you can change a tab by clicking on its name
	preview, shows how the custom object will look after the changes and parameters selected

Hotkeys for Dialog Boxes.

Alt + F4- closes the current element or exits the active program

Ctrl + Tab- switching tabs to the right side (forward)

Ctrl + Shift + Tab- switch tabs to the left (back)

Tab- sequential movement through buttons, fields, lists, menus, panels, etc. (right down)

Shift + Tab- sequential movement through items, buttons, fields, lists, menus, panels, etc. in reverse order (upward left)

Space- allows you to highlight (press) the selected button, check the box

Alt + underlined letter - by pressing and holding the Alt key, look at the name of the window tab, list, field, etc., one of the letters is underlined, press it on the keyboard and you will go to the selected item

Arrow keys - navigation through items, options

This concludes the story about dialog boxes and their main elements. Share in the comments your ways of working, positive experiences or problems and difficulties.

In the topic "Aggressive" thorny "buttons against rounded", a little discussion has developed about the location of standard buttons in dialog boxes ("Yes", "No", "OK", "Cancel"). In this article, I look at the main mistakes that interface designers make with dialog boxes.

Dialog boxes

How often do you find yourself in a situation where, out of habit, you clicked a button, expecting to get one result, but instead get the exact opposite? Or, say, "hovered" over the too abstruse dialogue to confirm the exit? Or maybe you met with questions from the series "Do not save?" and buttons "Yes", "No", "Cancel"? The reason for this is the lack of understanding by the developers of the "unwritten design code" - simple rules that no one came up with, but it just so happened. This problem is widespread in the world of free software and is almost absent in the products of large companies, whose program interfaces are strictly standardized and carefully thought out. Let's take a look at some examples.

This is a good dialogue. It is simple, it has everything you need and there is nothing superfluous. Let's go in order:

• A direct and short question was immediately posed: "Do you want to save the changes?"
• Short, instantly clear and easily understood answers: "Yes", "No", "Cancel".
• Answer options are arranged in the only correct and convenient order.
• The correct (in 90% of cases) answer has already been highlighted - you can safely press the gap and proceed to further work.

But there are also shortcomings here (one of them is corporate, fucking standard):

• Window title. It is much more correct to duplicate the essence of the question - "Save?" But on the other hand, this is good, because this question can pop up at the moment when the user is working with another application. Although, again, with what fright Word will suddenly close without user intervention, especially when he is working with another program? For more than against. Therefore, it is better to duplicate the question in the title or, as a compromise, indicate the name of the program with the question ("Save? - Microsoft Word").
• Icon. In Microsoft products, it is designed to set the tone of the dialogue, but often developers use not just a "tone" sign as an icon, but an action icon, if present. For example, this is done in the following example with the "Save" icon. I will not dwell on the question "Floppy disk or HDD with an arrow down", as this is beyond the scope of this topic.

Now let's analyze another dialogue by the same principle.

GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)


This is bad dialogue. It is complex, oversaturated with information. Let's go through the list:

• The question is presented in a too long form and for some reason added "before closing". This question is being asked only when closing a document, so why write "before closing"? Again, why do you need the clarification "in the image"? I'm in graphic editor, the captain suggests that they are working with images. Anyway, 3D Max asks me "Save changes to the set of 3D models covered with textures% file_name%?"
• The answer options are too long, which, moreover, do not correspond to the question (hello, Bashorg!). The buttons force the brain to turn on in order to understand what they want from me.
• Answer options are arranged in the same order for developers. Why "No", "Cancel", "Yes"? How would they hint at "Dude, your crafts are terrible, don't clog the screw"?
• Wrong answer highlighted. The default proposal should perform some action with one movement of the user. Imagine a software installation dialog in Windows, where instead of "Next" in each window the focus will jump to "Cancel". Silly, isn't it?
• It is not clear why the phrase "If you do not save the image, all changes in the last 3 minutes will be lost" has been added. Rejoice, gentlemen: I figured out the place of work of Captain Obvious.

But there are positive aspects in this window:

• An informative icon that immediately makes it clear that we are talking about saving.
• Informative (doubtful) title of the window.

Can you feel the difference in these dialog boxes? The first is convenient, but the second is not. If you analyze successful products, some rules can be highlighted. In this context, the most important rule is the order of the buttons. A convenient option is "positive, negative, neutral" and nothing else. Users are used to seeing the first button in such situations - confirming, and the last - canceling the given question. Modals like settings will be discussed below.

What conclusions can be drawn from this:

• You need to ask the user a question as briefly as possible, so as not to force him to think about the question for half an hour.
• Do not use negative questions ("Don't save?" And "Yes", "No", "Cancel").
• Use only common button order (positive, negative, neutral)
• Answer options should be simple and concise. This is a program that should work quickly, not a linguists' seminar where you can chat for hours about nothing.
• Don't write unnecessary information. Of course, it's cool that you consider how much time has passed since the last save, but the user is purple on this, and in the dialogue it will only distract and, possibly, put you in a stupor or even make you angry.
• The title of the window should also be informative.
• Don't forget about the icon. It should reflect the essence of the issue as much as possible and be easily recognizable.

Modals and the Apply Button

The same problem occurs in the settings windows as well. Here is the correct window (oh-pa, MS again):

Two buttons: "OK" and "Cancel". And "Cancel" on the right. So it was and will be. And this is correct, because everyone is used to it. If the user changes something there and suddenly changes his mind about saving the changes, he will not look at the bottom right key, because he is used to seeing the cancellation there (and it is there in MS products). Linux is a completely different matter. There are no strict rules and standards, here everyone does as he wants.

Interesting, isn't it? Although the previous window has a normal button layout. What the developers were guided by - one hedgehog knows. Let's leave these blunders on the conscience of the authors, and for ourselves we will conclude: the most right button- cancellation (if this is not a special case).

Microsoft Windows

Another interesting option is the Apply button. Oh, what memories I have with her ... Before clicking "OK", in full automation, "Apply" is pressed. It's not clear why, but still :-)
A relic of the past, from which Microsoft for some reason does not want to give up. It is intended for saving and applying changes without closing the dialog box. Changed the setting - please click "Apply". This was done due to the fact that during Windows times 95 computers were weak and the application of the settings on the fly caused non-acidic doubling of the PC. Now, in the days of fucking nuclear machines and "office" horses with four gigs of brains on board, such a system is simply superfluous.

Ubuntu Linux


Gnome, for example, uses a system for applying settings on the fly; jabbed the mouse into the picture and it immediately became the desktop wallpaper. No need to click Apply / Save. There is only one button - Close. And nothing else is needed in non-critical dialogues.

Hence the conclusion: there is little use of the "Apply" button, so its use is in demand.

That, in principle, is all on this topic. Make, gentlemen, good, user-friendly interfaces. May your users rejoice!