Re: usability of tab focus

[Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted material.]

Simon,
You describe software, not a "web page." I support the perspective that the
best software is all things to all people, and eventually the software that
does so becomes the leader. As such, the default should include every
"control." Given that you've described an expert (heads-down/business
user/transactional type) system, the best system would enable the user, once
experienced, to actually configure the controls included in the tab
sequence.

Many people malign this level of customization, citing MS Word's maze of
options as proof. Not I. I'm bothered only by some of their choices for
defaults and their now-antiquated absence of perfectly accurate, embedded
descriptions. As a writer, I immediately make certain key customizations to
Word every time I deal with a new instance of it.

This entire line of reasoning is completely void for other requirement
scenarios, such as an ecommerce shopping cart. Again, I'm describing
ultimate software, a matter unrelated to the ideal balance between
development cost, time, training, and "visitor" conversion.
-Jack
www.workathomewednesday.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Asselbergs" <interaction-designer@...>
To: <discuss@...>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 7:22 PM
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] usability of tab focus


> [Please voluntarily trim replies to include only relevant quoted
material.]
>
> Hi All,
>
> Some expert coorperate users want to have a lot of fields on a form so
they can input large amounts of data at once, in a specific flow. They like
to use the Tabkey to put focus on a field. Should all fields  using tabfocus
events, or only the most used input pattern? What is the best practice?
>
> Example:
> Imagine you have to design usability for one form with the fields:
A,B,C,D,E,F,G Pages
>
>
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