Re: How to alert users to permissible values?

[Matt Ion <soundy -at- SOUNDY -dot- ML -dot- ORG>]

On Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:33:06 -0600, "Geoff Hart (by way of \"Eric J. Ray\")"
<ght -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA> wrote:

>Lisa Cressey is <<...writing the help for an application ... [with]
>data entry fields that have been assigned very specific valid
>values.>>
>
>The developers' response that it takes a lot of extra work to build
>in support for "What's This? Help" may or may not be correct, but
>it's still lazy. If you can get a manager to agree with you that this
>user assistance is an important feature of the interface, try to get
>it implemented.

I doubt you'll find it in the Microsoft Style Guide, but the MPTS
(Multi-Protocol Transport Services) component of OS/2 and LAN Server -
basically, the part where you configure network cards and protocols - has a
button labelled "Range" that's available on all entry fields.  Clicking it
displays a popup with the "permissible values" for that field, or further
informations on what's expected.

For example, clicking that button while in the "MAC Address" field for some
cards will tell the user that it expects a 32-character hexidecimal number
representing the address of the card.  The specific information is part of
the .NIF file for the card or protocol, and so can contain whatever relevant
information the manufacturer chooses to include.



 Your friend and mine,
 Matt
 <All standard disclaimers apply>
 "Reality is in alpha test on protoype hardware."
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