Re: Form Design Advice

--- Keith Worthington <KeithW(at)NarrowPathInc(dot)com>
wrote:

> operationsengineer1(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
>
> >i'm developing a number of data entry forms.
> thanks
> >to many on this board, i'm getting pretty close. i
> >*really* do appreciate everyone's knowledge and
> >insight and their unselfish spirit.
> >
> >i want my data enterer to be able to verify what
> they
> >entered and still minimize the clicks required to
> >enter data.
> >
> >i ahve a form process that looks like this...
> >
> >1. display blank form
> >2. perform insert after data is submitted (assuming
> no
> >errors which i check for)
> >3. perform select to get data entered
> >4. save data in global session array
> >5. redisplay the empty form (ready for new input)
> with
> >the printed session array components (representing
> >what was entered) above the form followed by "
> >successfully entered."
> >
> >now that i've moved beyond filling in one column in
> >one table, this seems to be an overhead hog -
> >especially when multiple columns are entered into
> >multiple tables.
> >
> >it's design decision time... am i being to picky by
> >wanting to display the data without adding any
> extra
> >button clicks?
> >
> >does anybody have a "cool green" way of getting
> this
> >done?
> >
> >i'm thinking i can just do the data entry (and
> avoid
> >the extra selects and session work) and include a
> >button to include a user input variable number of
> most
> >recent entries.
> >
> >tia...
> >
> >
> Keith's first rule of user interface design "Given
> the opportunity to
> screw something up the user will."
>
> IMHO If you display the data that the user just
> entered they will ignore
> the message that the data submission was successful
> and cheerfully
> resubmit the dataset believing that it was not
> accepted the first time.
> One way to prevent this is to lock all the input
> fields and perhaps
> change the color of the fields so that the dumb user
> notices and
> disable/remove the submit button. IF a combination
> of the fields is the
> primary key then the database could help prevent
> resubmission as well.
> Having said that; if the data that the user just
> submitted is displayed
> then how do they clear the form to enter the next
> set? Click a clear
> button perhaps? So your left with click to clear or
> click to view
> last. Your preference. Personally I would choose
> the latter. HTH
>
> --
> Kind Regards,
> Keith

keith, forgive me for not being more clear. i was
going to print out the data that was entered *above*
the blank form fields.

all the user has to do is visually review what was
entered and then type in their next entry in the blank
form fields.

this minimizes the clicks required to enter data. it
is one click per data set entered.

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