Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Button Conventions
No, this isn't about a couple thousand buttons showing their wares, this is about what people expect in a button. I decided to write this because all to often I find myself saying something like 'buttons should work on release, not on press'. They should. You should have the option of pressing on the button, and then pulling the cursor away and releasing, because you decided mid-click that was the wrong button. This is how most all apps, and even hyperlinks, behave. And that won't work if developers are using on press code to initiate button actions. So stop making me say it, and just do it right - buttons should invoke their actions on release, not on press. (Unless you have a really good reason)
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3 comments:
Dave you just blew my mind. I never thought about that before, and after reading this this morning I noticed what you meant all day at work I noticed which buttons worked on press and which worked on release, when I think of a button the function should work on press but I do like the release much better.
Cool Mike! I'm glad someone noticed! I guess it'd be tough for the button to your garage door opener, or any remote control button, to work on release. So, I know what you mean... but as a convention computer buttons should work on release. I guess for no other reason than - 'they can'. Because they can, they should... because it gives you an out. Why not have an out? You should always have an out.
Amen to that brother!
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