Projects/Usability/HIG/Labels: Difference between revisions

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{{ Moved To Community | KDE_Visual_Design_Group/HIG/Labels }}
== Purpose ==
Common controls should behave ‘common’ and look like everyday controls. Therefore, it is much recommended to use standard font. Bold or italic font should not be applied to control labels.
 
== Guidelines ==
* Keep labels short; be aware that [[Projects/Usability/HIG/localization|translated]] English text can expand up to 30% in some languages.
* Do not shorten your labels to the point of losing meaning, however. A three-word label that provides clear information is better than a one-word label that is ambiguous or vague. Try to find the fewest possible words to satisfactorily convey the meaning of your label.
* When the label is associated with another control, like a line edit, be sure to set the the line edit as the [http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.8/qlabel.html#setBuddy| buddy] of the label.
=== Dialogs ===
* If a dialog is user initiated, identify it using the command or feature name.
* If it is program or system initiated (and therefore out of context), label it using the program or feature name to give context.
* Do not use the title to explain what to do in the dialog – that's the purpose of the main instruction.
=== Menus ===
* Prefer verb-based names; Avoid generic, unhelpful verbs, such as ''Change'' or ''Manage''.
* Use singular nouns for commands that apply to a single object, otherwise use plural nouns.
* For pairs of complementary commands, choose clearly complementary names. Examples: ''Add/Remove'', ''Show/Hide'', or ''Insert/Delete''.
* Choose menu item names based on user goals and tasks, not on technology.
* Assign access keys to all menu items (Alt+Letter).
=== Buttons ===
* Label command buttons with an imperative verb.
* Do not use ending punctuation for labels.
* Describe the action that the button performs in a tooltip.
* End the label with an ellipsis if the command requires additional information to execute.
* Assign access keys to all buttons (Alt+Letter).
=== Links ===
* Choose a concise, self-explanatory label that clearly communicates and differentiates what the command link does.
* Do not use ellipses.
=== Tabs ===
* Label tabs based on their pattern. Use nouns rather than verbs, without ending punctuation.
* Do not assign an access key. Tabs are accessible through their shortcut keys (Ctrl+Tab, Ctrl+Shift+Tab).
=== Check boxes and Radio buttons ===
* Label every check box or radio button.
* Assign a unique access key to each label.
* Write the label as a phrase or an imperative sentence, and use no ending punctuation.
* Write the label so that it describes the selected state.
* For a group, use parallel phrasing and try to keep the length about the same for all labels.
* For a group, focus the label text on the differences among the options.
* Use positive phrasing. Don't phrase a label so that selecting means not to perform an action.
* Describe just the option with the label. Keep labels brief so it's easy to refer to them in messages and documentation.
=== Group box ===
* Use the group label to explain the purpose of the group, not how to make the selection. End each label with a colon.
* Do not assign an access key to the label.
* For a selection of one or more dependent choices, explain the requirement on the label.
== Implementation ==
* {{qt|QLabel}}
* [http://api.kde.org/4.10-api/kdelibs-apidocs/kdeui/html/classKSqueezedTextLabel.html KSqueezedTextLabel]

Latest revision as of 11:26, 4 August 2016

This page is now on the community wiki.