kind of an open question on how folk handle multiple selections with UIs. Say you have custom export properties and you create a tool to set these props. How do you handle the case where 2 or more selected objects have differing settings. The Checkbox is relatively easy as it has the third (indeterminate) state but what to do with spinners, combo box etc… Disabling the control is just silly. Only allow single selections can slow work flow right down, dropping down to some default value can make it look like the value have not been set with the result of something important “special” setting being overwritten. So what’s the forum take on it ?
never really looked before but spinner also has an intermediate state and I guess combo box selection can be set to zero(-1). Any other controls with a similar state ?
What I do is:
spinner.indeterminate = true
radiobuttons.state = 0
checkbox.tristate = 2
listbox: an unique item like “<none>” or “<various>”
For spinners, I usually implement a “relative value spinner” or an “absolute value spinner” depending on an additional checkbox.
for spinner i use indeterminate state, for checkbox – tristate == 3, radiobuttons – state == 0
(as already told above)
combobox is a problem.
in some interfaces i used disabled imgtag on background, and changed its color in specific cases.
with .net controls everything is easier. they all have back and forecolors
i don’t think it works this way…