Projects/Usability/HIG/ListView

Purpose

A list view is basically used to show some items. It offers orientation thereby and allows navigation without the need of other controls. Additionally, a list view may be used for single selection (users select one item from a list of mutually exclusive values) or multiple selection (selections in combination with the Shift key or Control key). However, because there is no common visual clue whether a list box’ mode is single or multiple and since other controls are more efficient for single selection, a list box should be used for single selection only. HT: Recommendation should be checked

Guidelines

Usage

• Prefer a list view to show items that belong together and in case of sufficient space.

Appearance

• Alternate row color (use theme settings). Use different keys (e.g. page up/down) when more lists should be accessible.
• Enable browsing through list by cursor up/down.
• Do not have blank list items; use meta-options, e.g. (None) instead.
• Place options that represent general options (e.g. All, None) at the beginning of the list.
• Sort list items in a logical order. Make sure sorting fits translation.
• For lists with more than one column view headers and enable sorting by clicking the header. Show sort order in header.
• Always give list controls a label, positioned above or to the left of the list, in sentence capitalization. Provide an accelerator key in the label that allows the user to give focus directly to the list.
• Make the list control large enough that it can show at least four items at a time without scrolling.
• If the list appears in a dialog or utility window, consider making the window and the list within it resizable so that the user can choose how many list items are visible at a time without scrolling. Each time the user opens this dialog, set its dimensions to those that the user last resized it to.

Selection

Check the following against recommendation

• Use the list view for selection if it is easy for users to know which items are checked at any given time, for one or more of these reasons:
  • There are no more than twice the number of options then are visible at a time
  • The options are well-known (for example months of a year or days of a week)
  • Usually the selected options are close to each other in the list

Choose a) or b)

• a) In any other case, use the dual-list pattern because it allows users to easily see which items are selected at any point, without having to scroll through the available options
• b) Use a list box for multiple selections with more than five options.

• Provide extended multiple selection with Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click to select groups of contiguous or non-adjacent values, respectively.

Make sure that KCB is feasonable

• Add 'KCheckBoxes' to list items.
  • KCB are flat (no frame, no shadow, no bevel) for clear differentiation from normal check boxes.
  • KCB are hidden by default, that means when no list item is selected.
  • KCB have a fade-in effect on mouse over to introduce themselves to users.
  • KCB are transparent and therby clearly part of the list item.
  • Legacy keyboard use applies to KCB as well. Thus, the whole item can be clicked to toggle option.