Description @ Your Fingertips
|
Pattern title |
|
Sensitizing example |
| You are putting interactive objects on a dynamic medium such as a screen
and you want to provide various levels of context sensitive help
supporting uninterruptable tasks.
Extensive explanations tend to clutter the interface but users may need
such help. They do not want to leave the context of their current
task, and experts may not want to see the help at all. |
Problem statement |
| In the Mac OS, a small balloon of textual help appears when the user
turns on this feature and moves the mouse over an object. In Windows
Tool Tips the same happens if the mouse hovers over an object. In
Netscape, the URL of a link is displayed in a fixed position at the bottom
of the screen if the cursor is moved over it. In a voice mailbox,
options are explained if the user waits for a while. |
Existing examples |
therefore
provide a short description of the object either close to it or in
a fixed position. Let users turn it on and off or only provide it
on some explicit user action (e.g., hovering). |
Formation of a general solution |
Alternative representation:
On <start trigger>
give <description>
at <location>
On <end trigger>
extinguish
<description>
|
Schematic |
| You can use three-state buttons to implement descriptions like
this. Longer explanations can go into on-line help, possibly
delivered via an intelligent agent, or in the manual. |
Reference to constituent / related patterns |