- From: Gavin Kistner <gavin@refinery.com>
- Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 16:49:14 -0600
- To: svg-developers@yahoogroups.com
- Cc: www-svg@w3.org
One additional argument for why system-level controls are needed. Consider a drop-down menu (<select>) of US state abbreviations, like: AK AL AR AS AZ ... On Windows, focusing such a select and desiring to select "AS" through the keyboard, the user keeps pressing "A" until AS appears. "AAAA"=="AS". (And you don't even know how close you are...you just have to keep watching each one change until you see the right one.) Ludicrous, but that's how it works. On MacOS, you type "AS". Boom, done. Logical. If I wrote my own <select> widget and put in this keyboard feature, what would I do? I'd choose the MacOS way. And then the Windows users would keep pressing "A" and only getting AK, and wondering why it doesn't work. If I choose the Windows way (the majority must be right) then all the MacOS users would type "AS" and get "SC", and be really confused. I have no idea what various Linux front-ends or BeOS or AmigaOS do. Do you? There are many little difference like this from OS to OS. I accept that some people want to make funky cool interfaces with new exciting functionality. I accept that for others the point of their SVG interface is not usability, but exploration. Please accept that SVG also needs an integral way to hook into OS-specific widgets, for those SVG applications where usability is key.
Received on Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:49:17 UTC