Projects/Usability/HIG/Tooltip

Purpose

A tool-tip is a small pop-up window that labels the unlabeled control being pointed to, such as toolbar controls without caption or command buttons. Tool-tips may as well provide more descriptive text including formatting and icons. Tips are a form of progressive disclosure, eliminating the need always to have descriptive text on the screen. This time-delay mechanism makes tips very convenient, but it also reduces their discoverability. When tips are used consistently they support user’s expectation and foster predictability.

Guidelines

• Use tips to label unlabeled controls and to provide additional information.
• Don’t use tips for warnings.
• Keep tips brief, typically five words or less for tool-tips; whenever appropriate, provide keyboard short-cuts and default values.
• Format tool-tips to make their content easier to read and scan by grouping and aligning the content. The information should be:
  • concise: large, unformatted blocks of text are difficult to read and overwhelming
  • helpful: it shouldn't be obvious or just repeat what is already on the screen)
  • supplemental: important information should be communicated using self-explanatory control labels or in-place supplemental text)
  • (in discussion) static: tips should not change from one instance to the next)
• (in discussion) If the control is disabled, add a short explanation about the reason to the tip. Do not add information beyond that.
• Consider to add small info buttons for use tips with a touch screen.

(in discussion)

• Do not use icons and formattings for tips of unlabeled controls.
• Use tool-tips with icons and formattings
  • if tips describe comprehensive functions,
  • when content is lengthy and formatting improves readability
  • for tips that are implemented primarily for joy of use.

Implementation

QToolTip