Comments on: When to make an action Invisible or Disabled http://www.danrigsby.com/blog/index.php/2008/05/02/when-to-make-an-action-invisible-or-disabled/ Developer.Speaker.Blogger Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:09:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Mike Hall http://www.danrigsby.com/blog/index.php/2008/05/02/when-to-make-an-action-invisible-or-disabled/comment-page-1/#comment-508 Mike Hall Mon, 05 May 2008 02:20:19 +0000 http://www.danrigsby.com/blog/?p=201#comment-508 As opposed to the user having permission, I usually state that something should be invisible if the user can never enable the option. It should be disabled if the user can at some point enable that option. This may involve having permission, or may involve something else like the a file is locked or the time of day or whatever. On a similar note is whether a control should be disabled or not if the user can activate that control on the same page/dialog or if they need to go somewhere else to activate it. If they can't activate it on the same page, the user may get frustrated trying to figure out what they need to check or change to activate the control. But sometimes, you just can't help that either. As opposed to the user having permission, I usually state that something should be invisible if the user can never enable the option. It should be disabled if the user can at some point enable that option. This may involve having permission, or may involve something else like the a file is locked or the time of day or whatever.

On a similar note is whether a control should be disabled or not if the user can activate that control on the same page/dialog or if they need to go somewhere else to activate it. If they can’t activate it on the same page, the user may get frustrated trying to figure out what they need to check or change to activate the control. But sometimes, you just can’t help that either.

]]> By: Dew Drop - May 3, 2008 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew http://www.danrigsby.com/blog/index.php/2008/05/02/when-to-make-an-action-invisible-or-disabled/comment-page-1/#comment-495 Dew Drop - May 3, 2008 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:17 +0000 http://www.danrigsby.com/blog/?p=201#comment-495 [...] When to Make an Action Invisible or Disabled (Dan Rigsby) [...] [...] When to Make an Action Invisible or Disabled (Dan Rigsby) [...]

]]>