Usability Tweak To Gcquery.aspx Suggestion

[robertlipe]

Here's a small usability concern. Fortunately, it has a small fix.

 

The 'create new pq page' gcquery.aspx has a field to center things around a GC number. This field is pre-filled with "GCXXXX" to show people what the expected input is. Whether you are a copy/paster or just typing in a number, you have to delete the contents of this field before you can blast in yours.

 

If that field where changed from

<input name="tbGC" type="text" value="GCXXXX" size="8" id="tbGC" />

to

<input name="tbGC" type="text" value="GCXXXX" onfocus="doClearField(this) size="8" id="tbGC" />

 

and in the javascript block at the top, add a definition :

 

function doClearField(theText) {

if (theText.value == theText.defaultValue) {

theText.value = "";

}

}

 

the contents of that field would go away when it received focus and still contained GCXXXX allowing the folks that are typing in or pasting in cache name to not have to dork with it. It would then be more consistent with web pages like the entry page of eBay, for example.

 

Yeah, it's small thing in the big picture, but I thought I'd mention it since I had to research this fix for something else anyway...

[AJK]

I've always thought that it should work like that.

[Jeremy]

Done. Thanks for making the implementation smooth as silk

[+ZackJones]

So does that mean if we post the fix / enhancement code things will get done sooner? If so post your to-do list

 

Zack

[Jeremy]

So does that mean if we post the fix / enhancement code things will get done sooner?

Nope.

[robertlipe]

Thanx. Since I had to research this for another project, I'm glad to help.

 

(OK, seflishtly, I'm glad that the page works more like I want it to. :-)

[robertlipe]

Could I push my luck with that 'smooth as silk' action and point out that the PQ name has the same issue with a similar fix?

 

If we tweak the line that is currently:

<input name="tbName" type="text" value="New Query" maxlength="100" size="60" id="tbName" />

 

to take the form of:

<input name="tbName" type="text" value="New Query" maxlength="100" onfocus="doClearField(this) size="60" id="tbName" />

 

The query name would have the same self-destructive action.

 

I should be able to explain in some purlely logical way why "show me N caches" and "within radius of N miles" fields don't need this, but I can't. Somehow, they don't bug me. :-)

 

Thanx.

[CoyoteRed]

Umm.. No, please, to that last suggestion. I often change PQ names only slightly. Wiping out the field would force me to completely rewrite the field. It would also prevent copy-n-pasting the name to another PQ.

 

Also, if the clearfield effect is only used on the From Origin From Waypoint field, you could change:

 

theText.value = "";

 

to

 

theText.value = "GC";

 

to wipe out only the "xxxx" part.

 

Niether of the above bother me, but might help those who hunt-n-peck.

[CoyoteRed]

In an effort to not be negative, I offer this solution. (You know how they say don't complain if you can't offer a solution? Here's my solution.)

 

This will get you Robert's request, only do a clear field on the default text of a new query, and only wipe out the "XXXX" in the Waypoint field.

 

For the PQ name field, change:

 

<input name="tbName" type="text" value="New Query" maxlength="100" size="60" id="tbName" />

 

to

 

<input name="tbName" type="text" value="New Query" onfocus="doClearName(this)" maxlength="100" size="60" id="tbName" />

 

On the From Origin Waypoint Name field, change:

 

onfocus="doClearField(this)"

 

to

 

onfocus="doClearWP(this)"

 

Then change your script from:

 

function doClearField(theText) {
if (theText.value == theText.defaultValue) {
theText.value = "";
}
}

 

to

 

function doClearWP(theText) {
if (theText.value == "GCXXXX") 
{ 
theText.value = "GC";
}
}
function doClearName(theText) {
if (theText.value == "New Query") 
{ 
theText.value = "";
}
}

 

Hope this helps.

Edited November 6, 2004 by CoyoteRed

[robertlipe]

CR, they aren't blanked when you enter them and anything OTHER than the default text is in them. It doesn't "prevent copy-n-pasting the name to another PQ"; it allows copy-n-pasting INTO the name of a PQ with the default name because it replaces the default name with the one you placed either with keyboard or a past operation. The only case it might make harder is for someone that actually wants their PQs named "New Query1", "New Query2" and so on and has grown accustomed to just being able to plunk that number into the field.

 

Neutering only part of the data field violates most usability guidelines. If you really don't want "GC" to be part of the editable field, take it OUT of the field. (Of course, doing this would be even more disorienting...)

[CoyoteRed]

Robert, the default value is whatever the text was in the "value" variable when the page is called up. Jeremy pre-populates that field any time that page is brought up and there is data to put in there.

 

So, if you are bringing up a page that already has a valid waypoint in it and you click on it, it will clear.

 

My solution only clears it if the default value is GCXXXX.

 

If folks had been simply naming their queries "New Query1" and so on, I don't see how they would object to naming them "1."