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Date:	Wed, 16 Jul 2003 15:23:03 PDT7
From:	"David LaRue" <Huey.DLL@GTE.Net >
Reply-To:	scoug-programming@scoug.com
To:	< "scoug-programming@scoug.com" > scoug-programming@scoug.com >
Subject:	SCOUG-Programming: button challenged

Content Type: text/plain

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 14:07:29 PDT7, Peter Skye wrote:

>Hey there Lynn,
>
>You like theoretical design. Let's frame this quick comment around GUI
>programming.
>
>For years I've wished that programs included an Update button on their
>main window. You click on Update and the program goes and checks if you
>have the latest version; if not, it gives you the option of upgrading
>on-the-spot. What do you think?

I've been doing this since the corporate LAN was installed for us
in 1987. Naturally this was limited to our departments software.

The internet makes this a bit easier but most people still make it
difficult. For instance, Adobe Reader will occasionally ask me if
I want to check for an update. If I say yes, it will abort my
document it was about to display. I've not found the button to
ask it later for an update. I'm also a bit peaved that it stops
my work for a prompt before doing the task in the first place.
This should be configurable of course. I'd like it to load my document
and in a side thread check for a new release. Then it can ask
about an update. Perferably the update can be done without much
interuption on my part.

The popular Windows installers are pretty much brain dead when
it comes to managing a product. They don't understand the concept
of an update, just an install/uninstall. Ideally the install should
be totally unobtrusive. If it can't be completed without my help
then just do the best it can and tell me what to do. e.g. download
the update and install it. Tell me it will be available on the next
run, reboot, or whatever.

Programs with such a feature should support version control. I
should be able to back out or perhaps choose the release that I want.
The OS/2 installer I've used most allowed for versioning and the
ability to back out an upgrade.

>And based on a program I've finally "conquered" in the past week, I
>think there ought to be an Ouch button. When you do something and get
>an unexpected result, you click on Ouch and the program tells you why it
>did what it did, so at least you know whether you typed something
>incorrectly, used something inappropriately, are thinking on a different
>plane, or simply disagree with the programmer.

That would be nice.

>What buttons do _you_ think are missing?
>
>- Peter

David

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