I am starting to prefer comboboxes than textboxes
in [Visual Basic]
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From: Mike Williams on 25 Feb 2010 09:28 "MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:b51do55akhms0plovuctm8v6jb0ij490jc(a)4ax.com... > Everyone had to go to the Start button once. Yeah, in order to shut down! I wonder which idiot at Micro$oft thought that one up! Mike
From: MM on 25 Feb 2010 09:28 On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:04:02 +0000, Dee Earley <dee.earley(a)icode.co.uk> wrote: >On 24/02/2010 13:56, MM wrote: >> On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:28:59 -0600, DanS >> <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t(a)r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote: >>>>> The problem I always have with a big dropdown box is what if I don't >>>>> know what I'm looking for ? >>>> >>>> If you don't know, how could you type it into to a textbox instead? >>> >>> That isn't the point, the point was very long drop-down boxes, not >>> extering text. Scrolling through 1000+ entries of which I'm not sure what >>> I need is a problem. >> >> You don't appear to understand how it works. The point is indeed about >> entering text. The user will see the default value in the textbox >> portion of the combobox and will either overtype it or drop the list >> down. You don't scroll through 1000+ entries, you simply type the >> value you want which you would have to do anyway if you were typing >> into a textbox. > >Not if you don't know EXACTLY how the text starts. If you don't know exactly how the text starts, how are you going to be able to type it in to a plain textbox? >A more intelligent dropdown like auto complete that can match on any >part of the text is required for this. Fine. But that is not what I need here, since I only have the range 0 to 127 or 0 to 3000 to present to the user. > >>>>> Here's the latest drop-down list for that: >>>> >>>> [snipped] >>>> >>>> That is your example? Did it not occur to you that that list is poorly >>>> designed? >>> >>> My example ? Yes. That is one example. >> >> But why not stick with the actual example that I have now explained >> several times, namely a numeric range of either 0 to 127 or 0 to 3000, >> not find a completely different example that isn't pertinent anyway? > >I did, a box with a spin control is a much more suited (and again, IMO) >simpler UI. I dislike spin controls for reasons already explained to Karl. And you don't see them very often in commercial software either, whereas you see comboboxes (aka dropdowns) all the time. MM
From: Dave O. on 25 Feb 2010 09:38 "MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:n61do5pg5ndmev3tmg89kh6jvb4o05fpe8(a)4ax.com... > And he would otherwise have to type the whole number into a textbox. > However, I don't have to add any additional validating code. Your "one > or two lines" is a tad optimistic, in my view, given that different > ranges would require different min and max values. Private Function ValidateNumeric(ToTest As String, MinVal As Long, MaxVal As Long) As Boolean If IsNumeric(ToTest) Then ValidateNumeric = (Val(ToTest) >= MinVal) And (Val(ToTest) <= MaxVal) End Function There you are, 1 line of reusable code - I bet that is far simpler than the code you use for your auto-complete. Here is a slightly more sophisticated version that'll filter out decimal values like 25.4 Private Function ValidateNumeric(ToTest As String, MinVal As Long, MaxVal As Long) As Boolean Dim sngNum As Single If IsNumeric(ToTest) Then sngNum = Val(ToTest) ValidateNumeric = (sngNum >= MinVal) And (sngNum <= MaxVal) And (Int(sngNum) = sngNum) End If End Function Dave O.
From: MM on 25 Feb 2010 09:35 On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:55:17 -0800, "Bob Butler" <noway(a)nospam.ever> wrote: > >"MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message >news:kc5co5113nkde6g59tmg366lgdf7r5kvvk(a)4ax.com... >> On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:02:45 -0800, "Bob Butler" <noway(a)nospam.ever> >> wrote: >> >>> >>>"MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message >>>news:4nrao5h2usu7ebur4kv38a14u1th67rkia(a)4ax.com... >>>> On Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:53:28 -0800 (PST), Shotgun Thom >>>> <tmoran4511(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>><cut> >>>>>Auto-select combobox is a good choice for your program, MM. >>>>> >>>>>Tom >>>> >>>> You and me both, Tom. Oh, how refreshing to talk to somebody who >>>> understands! >>> >>>You mean who agrees.... many understand. >> >> I don't think they do. Unfortunately, while Access provides typomatic >> out of the box, classic VB doesn't. > >You started off asking for opinions on this approach but it's quite clear >that you just want confirmation that it's a great approach for a wide range >of data entry fields. In my opinion it works but leads to an unusual >interface that will feel awkward to many users. In another post you said >that the number of users who didn't know they could type in a combobox is "a >vanishingly small number". Perhaps your experience is skewed by Access >application use; my experience is that when people see a drop-down they use >that and do not type directly into the box. > >If you, and your users, like the drop-downs everywhere then use them. I >think you've found a new-fangled hammer and are seeing lots of nails that >need pounding. I really do not see what you think can possibly feel awkward about using a combobox. They are found everywhere in software, so it's hardly new-fangled. MM
From: Bob Butler on 25 Feb 2010 10:13
"MM" <kylix_is(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:h92do5dm5tj56e6sdp56rahckfi213ugo7(a)4ax.com... <cut> >>If you, and your users, like the drop-downs everywhere then use them. I >>think you've found a new-fangled hammer and are seeing lots of nails that >>need pounding. > > I really do not see what you think can possibly feel awkward about > using a combobox. They are found everywhere in software, so it's > hardly new-fangled. I know you don't see. You stopped listening before you made the first post asking for opinions on your approach. If you like it, use it, just don't be surprised that not everybody agrees. Why do I feel like I'm in the Monty Python argument sketch? |