Re: Favorite form controls for multivalues

On Jan 14, 12:11 pm, Tony Gravagno
<address.is.in.po...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dawn, I think the control/metaphor that's used on a form has less to
do with the structure of the data source but more to do with the
context of the application.  I recommend divorcing yourself from the
notion of a best one size fits all method,

I suspect I didn't state clearly my objectives, as there are
multiple. I'm working on the interface between the MV data (in
Cache') and the AJAX front-end. The examples from the vendor show a
<return>-delimited string returned when reading a multivalued field
into the UI world. This is a reasonable model for backing a textarea
control, but needs to be parsed again for a table. Given that there
can be at most one default behavior, with others as alternatives, I'm
thinking the default might better be to have multivalues flow into a
data model that backs an enhanced table control, rather than a
textarea. However, if a lot of people say that they use textareas all
the time for maintaining multivalues in a browser UI, then perhaps I'm
not thining right on this and the delimited string would be a good
default.

Additionally, there are many javascript libraries, including Yahoo's
YUI, for example, with various enhanced tables in them. I gave it only
a few minutes to try to find a web-based UI that I really liked that
had the basic features needed to maintain an MV list (edit, insert,
deleted and maybe even reorder), so I was wondering what others were
doing in order to choose a default control as well. Obviously when
writing specific code, using the default for the model of the data
that backs a control and/or the default GUI object would be optional,
but might often be a good place to start.

and from the link between
data visualization and data storage, and just consider the best
control for the user who is looking at any given form.

I would prefer not to fulfill the same requirements in many different
ways if I can pick something that might hit 70% and then deviate from
there.

I also recommend you have a look at the numerous examples of
DesignBais applications on our Nebula R&D website.  Maybe that will
get the creative juices flowing.

I would think that DesignBAIS, too, would pick a default and then
permit deviations from that -- or do you build up from scratch in
different ways each time you want to maintain a multivalued field?

remove.pleaseNebula-RnD.com/products/gallery.htm
Click the first link under "DesignBais", maximize your screen, and you
should be able to easily click Next through about 30 screenshots.

Thanks. I just went through them. For the most part, it is either
not possible to insert and delete rows in the tables that are shown,
or it is somehting one just has to know how to do as there seem to be
no instructions with the tables. There were a few pages I saw

products/designbais/fwdscreen3.htm, peartreescreen2.htm and
promadisscreen1.htm for example

where there was a little + in the header left column and and x next to
each row, along with a > presumably showing the current row. So, I am
guessing that is the default table behavior for DesignBAIS when you
want to perform such functions. You don't have one customer putting
the plus below the table and the x in the right hand column, for
example, so this does help me see one approach of doing what I am
looking to do. I will start with the basics in Cache's AJAX
framework, but still have design decisions to make within that.

I noticed various rather non-standard controls on some pages, such as
a button to scroll to the right, that I would have thought would be
included with a typical enhanced form component, in a format that is
more typical (scrollbars, for example). So, I'm guessing these are
user-designed either because they are not options in the standard
control from DesignBAIS or the user did not know how to specify them.

Thanks, those are helpful. Anyone have others they like? --dawn

Best,
T
.

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