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Review of the Practical Guidelines for Implementing the Graphical User Interface |
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Your client, the Second Bank of Carrollton, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of, as the branch manager puts it, easy-to-use windows and shortcut keys. The branch manager has stressed, We don't want our bank customers waiting too long to open a new account or to engage in any bank transaction. She expects her tellers to be in front of the computer more than 70% of the time. Prolonged use of the older legacy system has produced complaints of eye soreness and headaches due to the monochrome dumb terminal and of stiffness in fingers and joints from excessive keystrokes. She hopes that mouse clicks and, if possible, wizards will greatly minimize the keystrokes and the need to look at the monitor for lengthy periods. |
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You had a hunch that the graphical user interface usability requirements might be a moderate effort, and you were correct. To be safe, you review the practical guidelines you learned on Day 11: |
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Expect to consume at least a third of your project schedule designing the forms and making them reasonably usable. |
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Properly place the data entry controls in the order that users expect. |
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At every opportunity, be sure to set the tab stop values of each form object. |
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Labels should be captioned clearly so that the user doesn't have to guess what a data entry field means. |
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Make sure the user doesn't have to scroll a form full of too many controls. |
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If your users normally enter standard units of measurement such as miles (mi.), kilometers (km.), and so on, or other standards such as Street (St.) or Road (Rd.), Mr. or Mrs. or Ms., and megahertz (MHz), try to accommodate them by autopopulating them, structuring them into masks, or providing a drop-down list of these options. |
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Make calculate fields read-only. |
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Designing the Visual Basic Form with a Corresponding Class |
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After talking with the branch manager, you're ready to design the forms you need for the application. You remember that the fundamental requirements for the forms are reflected in the use cases. The list of use cases you examine are as follows: |
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