[sugar] Control Panel Buttons ?

[Mikus Grinbergs]

Whatever else,   when dealing with non-computer-literate persons, I 
believe that EACH visual icon __must__ universally convey only a 
__single__ meaning.

That is why I find the buttons in the Control Panel inconsistent.

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Within the sub-functions, the 'X' button (labeled 'Cancel') appears 
to convey the concept:  "Throw away whatever it is that you have 
done."  I personally would wish this button to be modal - and have 
it be 'grayed out' in the header until the kid makes a change. [I 
would expect a kid to understand (for 'X'):  "I'm through.  Let me 
out of here, but wipe clean all materials that I worked with".]

Within the sub-functions, slightly more problematic is the 'check' 
button (I would label it 'Apply') which appears to convey the 
concept:  "I approve.".  I personally would wish this button to be 
modal - and have it be 'grayed out' in the header until the kid 
makes a change.  [I would expect a kid to understand (for 'check'): 
  "I'm done.  Let me out of here, as soon as you have changed the 
settings within the system to what I've specified here".]

That leaves the situation where the subfunction was called to look 
at the values, not to change them.  I personally would want the 
sub-functions to have a (third) 'left-pointing triangle' button 
(labeled 'Back') in the header, active to begin with.  This button 
would be modal - when any change gets made using the facilities of 
the sub-function, the 'Back' button gets 'grayed out', but the 'X' 
and 'check' buttons get activated.  [I would expect a kid to 
understand (for 'left-pointing triangle'):  "I didn't do anything. 
Let me out of here." ]

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This is why I am upset to find (in current Joyride) in the main 
'Control Panel' pane an 'X' button labeled 'Done'.

The __universal__ symbolism of 'X' ought to be "Forget it".  Why 
confuse me (and the kids) by using an 'X' here for "simple exit".
[The kid doesn't want to have the system "throw away" something he 
did in s sub-function of the Control Panel.]

What is appropriate to use on the main 'Control Panel' pane (since 
nothing got changed ON THAT PANE) is a 'left-pointing triangle' 
button labeled 'Back' (i.e., back to the Home View icon).

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All uses of an 'X' button should convey the same concept:  "Forget 
it".  Turns out the Journal 'details view' pane employs the special 
interpretation that its buttons apply to the Journal_entry [instead 
of to the pane in which that 'X' is shown].  Thus the 'X' button in 
the 'details view' pane header is used to 'Erase' the Journal_entry 
itself, whereas all exiting (in the current Joyride implementation) 
from the 'details view' pane [whether or not the kid made changes to 
the (text) content of that pane] is handled by an "active line" 
located below the pane header [that active line is "identified" by a 
'left-pointing triangle' icon ('Back') drawn within that line].


In 'Develop', the functions of the 'X' button and the 'check' button 
seem to be reversed -- 'check' throws away what was done, and exits.
I would say:  "NO No no -- visual symbolism __must__ be consistent".


mikus