Re: [Usability] Gnome HIG suggestion: search box clear buttons

[Kirk Bridger <kbridger shaw ca>]

What is the intent of the user?  What are the goals or tasks here?

In no particular order (as I see them):

1 - edit existing search text
This should be done by simply pointing and clicking with the mouse so that the cursor appears within the existing text somewhere.  If the user wants to highlight multiple characters, a single click and drag allows it.

2 - clear field and search for a new string
Best done by a single click to clear and put the search field in focus - just like these buttons allow you to do.

3 - clear any search filter on the view
Best done with a single click, just like these buttons do.  If there is a live filter on a list such that it updates as you type, it would be of great use to have a single button to clear it all - a reset as it were.

4 - start a search
The field is empty and the clear item does not appear active until there is something to clear.  Its context-sensitive and direct manipulation all wrapped in one!.

I don't see a compelling reason not to include them.

I also strongly suggest that pre-selecting all the text in the field upon a single click would be a step backwards.  If I want to delete I'd be able to do it with a single click if there's a clear item button - an improvement over a click/keypress or click/rightclick/select of pre-selecting.  The other pet peeve I have about pre-selecting the whole thing upon a single click is how do I edit the field?  I'd need two clicks.  How do I select part of the field?  2 clicks and a drag.  I think Firefox used to do the pre-select in the URL field and I always found it difficult to use.  Or is it IE that currently does this?

Pre-selecting makes editing the field a very difficult task.  Yes it makes deleting it easy.  But that is also accomplished by the clear button.

I think the clear button is the way to go, though perhaps someone can point out a downside here?  I haven't seen one yet.


Kirk






Alan Horkan wrote:

On Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Matthew Paul Thomas wrote:

  

Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 00:39:19 +1200
From: Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt myrealbox com>
To: GNOME Usability List <usability gnome org>
Subject: Re: [Usability] Gnome HIG suggestion: search box clear buttons

On Jun 2, 2007, at 12:52 PM, Alan Horkan wrote:
    

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007, Caleb Marcus wrote:
...
      

I'd like to suggest that the GNOME HIG recommend including clear
buttons next to search boxes that change the current view. I've
attached a screenshot of an example of one of these, from Mozilla
Thunderbird. When the user starts typing in the find-as-you-type box,
the red "X" button appears in the right side of the search box. When
clicked, it clears the text in the search box and resets the view back
to normal.
        

...
I'm not sure I see a compelling reason to provide an alternative to
backspace/delete for ordinary users.
      

I used the term "ordinary users" very deliberately.  The reasons you
mention are the obvious reasons why someone might want to add this button
but do not go to proving it as particularly compelling change. Sure it
might be of some benefit to heavier users who are not aware of the
existing keybindings.  Generally if the text in a field is preselected it
takes only one keypress to clear it anyway.

Just voicing some skepticism.  This is the kind of cluttered and
non-standard widgetry that Mozilla is going to do anyway (like close icons
on every tab that I don't like either) and it might be a good idea to have
the same thing in GTK.