[AccessD] User interface

As I write apps for very non-technical users, I have a pretty standard row
of buttons across the bottom which usually go: Add, Find, Undo, Save,
Delete, Print, Preview, Exit.  I also have a group of 4 command buttons for
first, previous, next, and last records and standard OnClick modules for
those four with error traps for Error 2105. I position them generally
between the Save and Preview buttons.

On Dirty I make the forecolor of the Save button red as a visual reminder to
save the record.  I turn it blue in the Save and Current events of the form.
I can check the forecolor of the save button wherever I want and MsgBox a
reminder that the current record has changed, do they want to save it now?  

Clicking Add turns that forecolor red as well. Clicking it a second time
turns it back to blue and undoes the new record.

This way they don't have to anything about how Access works, just click the
command buttons.  

If there are a lot of fields, I group them into logical groups and back each
group with a box of a different color.  Helps visually to make sense of a
form with a lot of fields.

I use a light green background on a text box which is not editable.  

And I use conditional formatting to turn the backcolor of a textbox yellow
when it gets the focus. Makes it easy for the user to see where they are
when the cursor is a vertical blinking hairline.

I have also been taught by users to pay very close attention to the tab
order.  The ones who enter data on a form generally like things in a very
specific order and they use the tab key instead of the mouse to move from
field to field.

My 2 shekels,

Rocky



-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: August 27, 2011 9:16 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: [AccessD] User interface

It has been awhile since I started a new Access project and I am just
re-examining my user interface techniques and wondering how you guys do
things.  A good example of this is whether to use buttons everywhere such as
new record, save etc.  In the past I typically used "user training", and the
new users are expected to use the record selector to go to a new record, do
saves by clicking out of the form or moving on to a new record etc.

The specific databases I am working on right now are for people not
necessarily familiar with a database or data entry and so specific buttons
can allow icons and control tip text to make things easier to learn.  OTOH
they take up a lot of room.

I have written a fairly sophisticated framework that allows me to do things
like combo double click opening a form to display the data table behind the
combo.  I have clients who like that, and their users are trained on such
things, but it is not clear however that in an environment where the user is
totally unsophisticated, allowing these kinds of things is appropriate.  In
this case perhaps specific users should have this ability but not the
general public so to speak.

What are your thoughts on the user interface.  Feel free to write lists of
things you do in your user interface.


-- 
John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com
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