Message Boxes and their icons

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Ensign Joe
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:36 pm

Message Boxes and their icons

Post by Ensign Joe »

Hi there,
I'm new to this forum so I hope I don't post this topic into the wrong category.

Unfortunately ReactOS isn't working on my VirtualPC 2007 and on the website there aren't any pictures from message boxes.

I wanted to suggest to use one "shape" of message box for every situation.

This should be that you have a big title message which indicates the problem shortly "Save changes?" or "5 New E-Mails".
Then a second smaller title message "Would you like to save your changes?" or "You have got 5 new E-Mails" or directly "Would you like to open your inbox?"
And then if neccessary the message itself in normal letters.
"There are unsaved changes in this file. You can still undo and so on" or "You might have a look into your Junk-Mail folder and so on"

This would look like this:
[ external image ]
(It's from my selfmade 3D window engine because I was to lazy to create a message box with the 2D engine)
EDIT:
[ external image ]
(This is the 2d engine - Just replaced the text of the "Low video memory" message ;) lol I forgot to change the titlebar)

I think it's better if the icons used in the message box are bigger (like 64x64 or so).
[ external image ]
Warning, Question, Info
(Look like Vista but actually they're made with Excel, yes!)

The buttons should also always indicate the actions that happen when you click on them and never answer to a Yes/No-Question. "Would you like to log off? - [Log off] and [Cancel]

I know this is a bit much and much technical but because I'm working on my window engine for pleasure I made a lot of experience how to design a user interface that is easy to use. (I hope it is :D )

Greetings
etko
Posts: 154
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 3:43 am
Location: Slovakia
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Post by etko »

frugly - aim towards classic looks
Ensign Joe
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:36 pm

Post by Ensign Joe »

etko wrote:frugly - aim towards classic looks
(Classic look sucks but if you wish...)
I was just too lazy to re-design the dialogs with visual basic.
But now I deactivated the design service and made a screenshot from Visual Basic ;)
I like XP's way to display the classic style better (this stretched close buttons for example)
[ external image ]
Deleting the folder content.

Greetings
Haos
Test Team
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Post by Haos »

You should try QEMU or Vmare, ROS works fine under those VM. You can also try Vbox.
Ensign Joe
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:36 pm

Post by Ensign Joe »

Haos wrote:You should try QEMU or Vmare, ROS works fine under those VM. You can also try Vbox.
...
I tried QEMU and it worked ;)
And I must say those message boxes in ReactOS are just ugly ;)
Phalanx
Posts: 360
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 12:42 am
Location: Australia

Post by Phalanx »

I think that look is much nice than the standard, much more user friendly and buttons etc live in there own areas. Nice work.
Ensign Joe
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:36 pm

Post by Ensign Joe »

Phalanx wrote:I think that look is much nice than the standard, much more user friendly and buttons etc live in there own areas. Nice work.
Thanks

[ external image ]
I made some boxes to demonstrate other icons and "styles".

So the last would be a copying dialog (if you know vista you'd recognize similarities :P )
The hourglass could be animated (rotating or so, like the mouse cursor)
I filled the empty space in this bar I call "underbar" (lol and normally there's a darker line that seperates underbar and the main window which is called "underbarverz", yes I know ... straaaange) with a progress bar.

If you hide the details it should just show the current file to copy and the time left or so.

Greetings
FlyingIsFun1217
Posts: 475
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 3:56 am

Post by FlyingIsFun1217 »

Now those are some NICE dialogs!

Even with that said, I don't think they'll go over well since it's off of the standard windows look-n-feel.

FlyingIsFun1217
Ensign Joe
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:36 pm

Post by Ensign Joe »

FlyingIsFun1217 wrote:Now those are some NICE dialogs!

Even with that said, I don't think they'll go over well since it's off of the standard windows look-n-feel.

FlyingIsFun1217
Thanks.

But why just 1:1 copy Windows? Why not fix all the stupid small bugs that annoy us for years? And make it even easier to use :)

Greetings
TiKu
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Location: Unterföhring, Germany
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Post by TiKu »

I doubt ReactOS could use message boxes that are THAT different from Windows' ones. Take a look at the MessageBox API function. If ReactOS wants to be compatible to Windows, it is bound to the capabilities of this function and this function doesn't let you much room for changes. E. g. it knows of a message box title and the message itself only - it's not possible to have several different kinds of captions like you're suggesting. Also the buttons' captions can't be set to some custom text and the implementation of the MessageBox API function can't know what clicking the button actually does, so it can't use more meaningful captions than Yes/No/Cancel.
Ensign Joe
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:36 pm

Post by Ensign Joe »

mh.. I understand

But at least ReactOS itself could use specific button captions and captions.
For other applications you could just use the normal text without the colored header (which I hate because Vista also has this stupid mix of much text and title bar with summary).

But you're right, it would be impossible for other applications to use this features. At least ReactOS itself and its own applications (explorer, notepad etc.) should use those features.

Greetings


EDIT: I think there are some ways so solve this problem.
The default MsgBox routine could be slightly redesigned but keeping the same parameters: (was too lazy to turn off the Design service again ;) )
[ external image ]
1st: Depending on the message type the header line could be changed to "Error", "Warning" etc. to make all the boxes look virtually the same
2st: Using the title bar as header line (stupid in most cases)
3rd: Use the message itself as header line (looks stupid if the message is long... maybe depending on the length of the message use the header or the normal text)
4th: Always use the message line for the message

The width of the box is on purpose.
FSX
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:23 am

Post by FSX »

Maybe a new message box class could do that...
Switchboy
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:29 am

Post by Switchboy »

Those boxes are way to big.

They should be small, but noticeable. It doesn't help to have a font of 16pt when you have a large error message. A font of 8 or 10pt is better readable. Becease you can fit more text in the same area.

Also the icon is more of an indication of whats going on. It shouldn't have to be larger then 32*32. That's more then big enough. The colours also look a bit dull. I think that icons that are going to be used so many times should be simple and have hard colours.

This will bring the time you need to recognise the icon down. Icons are there to help.

As an example I made three boxes.

[ external image ]
[ external image ]
[ external image ]

Please note they only serve as an example to make my point. In no way am I proposing designs here.

They are small, neat and above all: functional.
QD
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:31 pm
Location: Russia

Post by QD »

What's the glory of endless copying of already existing gui? What's the way you never invent nothing original.
Switchboy
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:29 am

Post by Switchboy »

ReactOS is supposed to be an opensource windows. It is supposed to atract windows users.

In that case it has to behave, look and feel like windows too. Maybe with an adjustment here and there
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