Re: usability of tab focus

>
> >> 2. It makes the form unpredictable, as they would not know what next
> tab
> >> index would do
>
> >True, but that is a problem that could be fixed easily with visual aids.
>
>  Yes, but you will also unnessesarily increase mental load of filling your
> form: instead of mindlessly pressing tab twice to skip a field, users will
> have to associate the meaning of field highlight with tab order any time
> they see the form. Needless to say, this new behavior would be conditioned
> by your software only, would go against common experience. Better highlight
> the frequently used, "expert" fields and preserve complete tabbing sequence.
>
>
> Also consider those infrequent occasions when the seldom fields do need to
> be filled. We have good memory of rhythm and tabbing blends effortlessly
> with keyboard typing. Whenever the user would have to use "infrequent"
> fields they would fairly effortlessly change the rhythm from for
> example 1-1-3-1-2 to 1-1-1-1-1-2. Consider the alternative:
> 1-1-mouse-click-keyboard-mouse-click-keyboard-tab-1-2 - do it once every
> hour and you'll quickly realiize that you are working too hard (could be
> viable option if you have to do it only once a day).
>
> I liked Jack's suggestion of customization initially, but then
> realized that it wouldn't work since the fields need to be used from time to
> time. For the same reason "show-hide options" interface could become
> annoying very quickly if user need to show-n-hide frequently enough.
>
> And so once more the appropriatness of solution will depend on answer to
> the simple time question: "How infrequent is seldom?" (hard to get away from
> the time aspect in interaction design).
>
> --
>
> Oleh Kovalchuke
> Interaction Design is Design of Time
> http://www.tangospring.com/IxDtopicWhatIsInteractionDesign.htm
>
>
>  On 6/18/06, Simon Asselbergs <interaction-designer@...> wrote:
> >
> > [Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted
> > material.]
> >
> > > >> Should all fields  using tabfocus events, or only the most used
> > input
> > > pattern? What is the best practice?
> > >
> > > Have Tab index for all fields, for following reasons:
> > >
> > > 1. The users who use tab are going to ofcourse rely on keyboards ,
> > hence
> > > having tab index for selected fields would require them to change
> > input
> > > devices in case any other field has ot be selected, this breaks flow.
> > You
> > > can take this oportuity to rationalize the form and may be remove
> > fields
> > > that are there for wrong reasons
> >
> > It is not that the users rely only on keyboard, they also have a mouse.
> > I can't narrow down the number of fields in this case. There are also fields
> > that edit a table, such as Male, Female, Unknown. This will almost never
> > need to be editted. But these must be present on the form. If you have all
> > fields tabindexed, it becomes 26 [Tab]-key clicks.
> >
> > The user where the application is targeted at is not a consumer, but an
> > employee. They have to be able to have fast input times for their most
> > regular input patterns. So I thought if reducing the number of fields is not
> > an option, than excluding seldom used fields fomr the tab focus is.
> >
> >
> > > 2. It makes the form unpredictable, as they would not know what next
> > tab
> > > index would do
> >
> > True, but that is a problem that could be fixed easily with visual aids.
> >
> >
> > > 3. Non-sighted users cannot use pointing device like mouse, but rely
> > on
> > > devices like keyboard,they would have no way to access other form
> > fields.
> >
> > The application already doesn't take care of Non-sighted users. They
> > aren't included in our target group.
> >
> > Has anyone have experience with the same kind of situation?
> >
> > --
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