I stumbled across this very nice script by Xaprb that creates input mask for form fields. It’s a brilliant idea to auto fill some of the indentations, especially in date and time input fields for the users. I rewrote some of the codes to fix a couple issues:
Usability:
While I think the general good practice in preventing users from making mistakes when using an application is to not give users the chance to commit them at all in the first place, preventing impermissible input value from appearing at all is kinda obstructive and frustrating at times, especially from a user stand point. I modify it to display an error message instead.
I’d also added a default value to the fields to help guide the users.
Prototype library dependencies:
This is just a small rewrite. I replace the prototype functions with native and small, additional function to eliminate the library dependence. You do need a getClass and event handler function. I used getElementsByClassName by Robert Nyman and John Resig’s addevent.
You can browse the source here.
One of the good practices in the field of user experience design is to give a good default setting for your majority users. It does not only mean putting a good UI for the default screen, but also helping users to quickly and painlessly make their selection or action in a given view.
For example, there’s a group of radio/check box buttons in the describe-your-body type of ‘profile’ section . You can have three buttons (or dropdown) that say ‘fairly athletic’, ‘fat and lazy’ and ‘I’m Lance Amstrong’ to help users auto-check the form fields that fairly represent such description. (I won’t recommend using those actual words though.)
A couple more examples:
Apple Mail: Another good way to let users return to the default screen is to have a good ol’ ‘reset’ button, as shown here in Apply Mail’s preferences screen.
Football Manager 2007: In game UI design, there are always so many options and configurations to choose from. For example in Football Manager 2007, you can pretty much design any kind of soccer formation you can think of. But the developers help ease the users UI adoption by preparing a rather large set of more common tactical formations.
Great movie and great game. Money well spent.
The autumnspring has approached. With all the sunlights and girls wearing mini shorts out there, life should be colorful. Or at least eventful.
But I feel lazy.
Maybe summer, it will get better.
Has any of you ever wondered how messed up the political situation is on the east side of Asia? I have, ever since I was 12 (my mom always said I worry too much).
See, on one side you have the North Korean and South Korean constantly ‘peeking’ each other over at the DMZ line. But both of them hate Japan to the gut. The Chinese also hates Japan to the gut, but they are cool with the North Koreans though (at least on some levels). Of course, there’s the thing with China and Taiwan. I’m not sure how good is the diplomatic ties between China and South Korean, but I’m pretty sure it works out pretty well economically (I read somewhere that Samsung is the most popular selling brand in the TV market in China). But then, China did help out North Korea during the Korea War. Oh also, the Russians and Japanese are fighting (diplomatically) over some remote islands on the north side of the troublesome sphere. As if that is not enough, super-countries like US have military bases set up around the legion to act as a ’stabilizing force’.
I know much of these are due to historical happenings and residues, but still…
Thanks to everyone, friends and family.
