Re: re-use any forms to show error messages

[Victor Engmark]

On 5/10/07, Davi Leal <address@hidden> wrote:

I am realizing that task.

To take a look you can try to 'Save' the below form:
  https://gnuherds.org/Person.php

Let me know anything.

Good work! Here's a few things I noticed:

• "email" should be changed to "Email", like the other fields.
• "Middle name" should be between "First name" and "Last name".
• What is the rationale for requiring only the first name? Those who don't have a unique first name will have to fill in at least the last name to be identifiable, and those who have a unique first name will have to lie if they want to be anonymous. I vote for making the field optional. If that can't / won't be done, I vote for making the last name mandatory (even though some people will surely use false identities in that case). The only thing we can be sure of is that the email is valid, since it has to be validated.
  
• The " :" part of the label is unnecessary.
  
• "Field cannot be left blank" sounds a bit technical. How about something like "Please [fill in a value / select a value] here"?
• Mandatory fields should be more thoroughly pronounced. I suggest bolder borders and / or a bigger asterisk. The difference in background color is hardly visible when viewing the page on my laptop, and the asterisk is tiny. Bold / italic text could be used for the labels, but the former is not recommended after a usability study (see below), and italic text is really hard to read if the text is small (antialiasing in *nix is also bad).
  

On a more scientific note, an eyetracking study has some interesting conclusions:

• "Placing a label above an input field works better in most cases, because users aren't forced to look separately at the label and the input field."
• "Placing labels above input fields is preferable, but if you choose to place them to the left of input fields, at least make them right aligned."
• "Reading bold labels is a little bit more difficult for users, so it's preferable to use plain text labels."
• "Drop-down list boxes—Use them with care, because they're so eye-catching. Either use them for important data or, when using them for less important data, place them well below more important input fields."
• "Label placement for drop-down list boxes—To ensure users are immediately aware of what you're asking for, instead of using a separate label, make the default value for a drop-down list box the label. This will work for very long lists of items, because a user already has the purpose of the input field in mind before the default value disappears."

-- 
Victor Engmark
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur - What is said in Latin, sounds profound