Remove Virtual HD options contrary to Gnome HIG

[Limulus]

As I posted here: ​https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/virtualbox-ose/+bug/160798

Using VirtualBox-OSE 1.5.0 in Ubuntu Gutsy (current to the repos as of Nov. 7, 2007) [dAniel hAhler wrote: "Confirmed. This is the same with version 1.5.2"]

I wanted to remove a virtual hard drive.

The option buttons are:

[Yes] [No] [Cancel]

Now, while there is explanatory text visible, those options are contrary to the Gnome Human Interface Guidelines for Alerts: ​http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/windows-alert.html

"Button Phrasing. Write button labels as imperative verbs, for example Save, Print. This allows users to select an action with less hesitation. An active phrase also fits best with the button's role in initiating actions, as contrasted with a more passive phrase. For example Find and Log In are better buttons than than Yes and OK."

I suggest changing "Yes" to "Delete" and "No" to "Unregister".

[dAniel hAhler added: "I think we should not add a patch for this [in Ubuntu], because it affects messages (translations) and is likely to get accepted upstream as a good change.]

[Limulus]

Screenshot of the current alert

[Technologov]

While I'm not a GNOME user, and not bound by GNOME standards, I completely agree that changing the wording on the buttons makes sense in this case.

-Technologov

[Michael Thayer]

Out of interest, does anyone know if/what the KDE, Windows and OS X HIG have to say about this?

[Michael Thayer]

Given that the same user interface is used on those platforms as well.

[Limulus]

I know you're not bound by the Gnome HIG, but they're there to help make apps more usable, which is why I filed this bug :)

As for other desktop environments, let's see...

KDE suggests using a descriptive verb: ​http://usability.kde.org/hig/current/windows-dialogs.php "Although Yes-No questions have an appealing simplicity, they do have a downside." and in the next section stating "it is better to provide options that are named in a way that describes what will happen when they are pressed" with a "clear verb [...] that describes the action"

For Vista, Microsoft discourages Yes/No buttons for complex interactions ​http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Aa511331.aspx "Use positive commit buttons that are specific responses to the main instruction instead of generic labels such as OK or Yes/No. Users should be able to understand the options by reading the button text alone. [...] "Use Yes and No buttons only to respond to yes or no questions."

Apple also states that verbs should be used for buttons ​http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGControls/chapter_18_section_2.html "Button names should be verbs that describe the action performed—Save, Close, Print, Delete, and so on."

So it sounds like they're all fairly close in agreement as to how to label buttons: with verbs :)

[Dmitry A. Kuminov]

Limulus, thank you for reporting this. We agree to all these proposals. We'll make appropriate code changes.

[Dmitry A. Kuminov]

The feature is done in SVN but it will appear most likely only in the 1.6.x release. (The expected 1.5.4 bugfix will not involve translators and there is no point to include untranslated UI enhancements of this kind).