Revolution and fonts

Richard Gaskin ambassador at fourthworld.com
Tue Aug 19 18:34:00 EDT 2003


Dar Scott wrote:

> I was picturing that three buttons in a column (assuming that is
> allowed in both platforms) might be required to be different on two
> platforms:
> 
> Platform 1.  All buttons in a column must be the same width, a multiple
> of 10 pixels in width and greater than 25%  larger than the text
> content.  However, if any button is not related to the other the
> interbutton spacing must be at least 4 pixels greater and the size must
> be at least 10 pixels different.
> 
> Platform 2.  All buttons (in a column or not) must be exactly 42 pixels
> wider than the width of the text.
> 
> See?  I need to read those HIGs.  My fears are getting the best of me.
> 
> I have heard something on this list or related list that the "done"
> button goes in different places on different platforms.  I assume that
> can be handled with profiles or a tiny bit of scripting.

Profiles can work to some degree, but I prefer to script resize stuff by
hand so I can control the execution order, useful for objects placed
relative distances from one another.  It doesn't take long, you only do it
once, and it always works exactly as you want it to.

But your fears are shared by all who make multi-platform apps, regardless of
dev tool or language.

Layout issues that specific are the motivation behind the Universal GUI.
Unless the OS vendor publishes research data supporting a specific layout,
I'd blow it off.

There's enough general information published about how the eye scans a page
that we can all feel fairly confident about placing the confirmation button
in a dialog in the lower-right.

As for exact spacing between controls I tend to favor Aqua over the others
because Mac reviewers are pickier aout such things, and very few developers
on other OSes seem to care at all.

But there's a good argument to be made that since Win holds so much of the
market we might favor their spec.  As soon as enough Win-only developers
demontrate an interest in reading their platform's HIG with any consistency
I might concur.  

But until then, my message for OS vendors pushing this level of minutiae at
us remains the same:  "Put up or shut up; you either have the research or
you have merely an opinion."  ;)

-- 
 Richard Gaskin 
 Fourth World Media Corporation
 Developer of WebMerge: Publish any database on any Web site
 ___________________________________________________________
 Ambassador at FourthWorld.com       http://www.FourthWorld.com
 Tel: 323-225-3717                       AIM: FourthWorldInc




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