Program Designing[RESOLVED]

[vhinehds]

Hi good day to all!

Im not new in VB6.0, but there's lacking in me which i want to improve...and that is designing my program interface. is there a link or site that would help me in conceptualizing program designs? if none, can somebody give me an advise on what would be a better technique or pointers to consider in designing. im just not happy in my program designs. Thanks.

[Deepak Sakpal]

Follow Microsoft Standards. Windows, MS Office are very good examples to study.

[Keithuk]

Please post an example of what your apps looks like. From there we can see what needs to be improved/modified.

[vhinehds]

thanks Keithuk, here's my sample layout of one of my programs which i developed for our company. this is contractor employees database. your comment and advise badly neede...

[Keithuk]

Well, just looking at the picture it looks ok, but I can't see any other forms or code.

What don't you like about the layout?

[vhinehds]

actually im not satisfied with my layouting ability. in that layout i just dont know if it looks fine to both a new user and old user of the program. is the positioning of my listbox, textboxes, combobox and other controls are appropriate or strategically in-placed.

that's why im in need of a good guidelines in program interface designing...if there is that you know. thanks man, need your reply.

[szlamany]

Our basic in-house conventions are:

1) Keep all forms consistent - that is the most important
2) Keep all controls (buttons/check boxes) that require mouse action close to each other - no one wants to move the mouse all over the screen to click something.
3) Use ALT-x type keyboard shortcuts.
4) Make sure that mouse-action is hardly never required - the focus and cursor should move naturally from object to object.
5) Concentrate "mouse-click" controls in upper left corner. You never know when someone will use an improper resolution (too low) and not see the lower right corner of the form - and not be able to click "SAVE" for instance.

[AtomSoft]

I recomend learning some photoshop. If you want to make beautifull appz with out paying for beautifull controls. I am going to make a sample tabbed dialog for ya and you will se what i mean.

[AtomSoft]

Here is the source files

[ZeBula8]

here's a link to a book which you can order or read it online -

User Interface Design for Programmers

[vhinehds]

wow! i haven't checked some of your samples files or sites 'coz i've just got in, but thanks a lot guys for the big help. i'll check them all now...thanks again.

[David.Poundall]

AtomSoft - how do you customise the tab control llike that? I can't checkout your code post because I can only undo a .zip file. Could you possibly post the code zipped up so that I can work through it. Awsome looking control by the way.

Thanks in Advance

[baja_yu]

You dont, and cant customize the tab control like that, but you can make 3 different images (if there are 3 tabs), each one showing a different tab button as "pressed" and then use 3 picture boxes to hold those three images, you then add the controls you want to the them, and make transparant labels without captions (placed over the tabs) to act like a button, and if somone presses button (tab) 1 you make the picture1 visible and all others invisible and so on...

[baja_yu]

Here is a beautifull (not visually ) example of how to do it.

[David.Poundall]

So simple when you know how .... and now I know. Thank you baja_yu.

[baja_yu]

Glad I could help