[Solved] Two clicks to change alignment

[Peter Zolja]

Hi,

Let's say I have a table:

<table>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>aaaaaaa</td>
            <td>aaaaaaa</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>b</td>
            <td>c</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

Now I want to center the content in the cells that have "b" and "c" in them. I click in the first cell (second row), and click on "alignment" then on center (one click). Now I move to the second cell to do that same for "c". This time I have to click two on more times until the "alignment" dropdown shows up. The first click it usually selects the content of the cell and usually the second time it works. Sometimes it requires two clicks the first time as well, it's just not consistent at all.

Thanks.

[Rumen]

Hi Peter,

I tried to reproduce the problem, but unfortunately to no avail. Could you please make a test by always clicking on the alignment dropdown arrow and see whether the issue still persists?

You can see my test in the attached video. Am I missing something?

Best regards,
Rumen
the Telerik team

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[Peter Zolja]

I think I understand what the problem is: Unlike the background tool, for example, when you click on the alignment tool it behaves differently depending on where you clicked "on" the button. If you click in the center of the button (where you have the icon) the dropdown does not show and all it does it select the content of the cell. This is where my multiple clicks comes into play. If, however, you click on the very edge on the button where you have that tiny black down arrow, you will get the menu all the time.

IMO this should get fixed as it's very hard to aim exactly for the tiny black arrow and selecting the content of the cell doesn't make much sense if I click on the alignment tool.

Thanks.


I worked with the example here (IE7, haven't tested with other browsers):

http://www.telerik.com/DEMOS/ASPNET/Prometheus/Editor/Examples/Default/DefaultCS.aspx

[Rumen]

Hi Peter,

The editor dropdown buttons behaves in the same way like the backcolor dropdown of MS Word. Once you click on the icon you can apply directly the previously selected color - this is like a shortcut. If you want to choose another color and display the dropdown then you should click on the tiny dropdown down arrow. I agree with you that the arrow should be much bigger and I logged your request in our ToDo list.

As a small note of gratitude for your feedback I updated your Telerik points.

All the best,
Rumen
the Telerik team

Instantly find answers to your questions at the new Telerik Support Center

[Peter Zolja]

1. For what it's worth I don't think this behavior is user friendly. Let's look at the background color tool. I'm in a random cell, I click the background tool, and I expect to select a color.

However, the tool behaves as follows:

a) If I ever selected a color before it will automatically use that color. I get absolutely no UI feedback on this. There's nothing to tell me what it will do if I click on it. The "previous" color is not shown anywhere.
b) If I have never selected a color before it will allow me to select a color. This is the behavior I get the first time, and it's very puzzling as to why it behaves differently the second time (see point "a").

I could click on the edge of the button, but unlike the MS Word button you're talking about the separation line is missing. In MS Word when you hover over the button you will see a separation line, the button effectively splitting into two areas. The user knows that if he clicks on the right side he will get a drop down menu and if he clicks on the left side he will apply the current selected color.

Another difference between MS Word and the way Telerik implemented the button is that in MS Word I always have a "color" selected and it's shown at the bottom. With Telerik the first time I do not. So MS's implementation, though not the best, at least is consistent.

You may think I'm picky, please watch this show:
http://www.dnrtv.com/default.aspx?showNum=112

2. The button should behave in one way and one way only. If I click on the button, I expect to be able to select the color. I don't want to keep in mind that if I previously selected a color it will use that. You have to remember that the people who use this control are more than likely people who use it for the first time or people who use it quite rarely; at least in my case. I can't expect them to learn these idiosyncrasies; it HAS to be smooth and very very predictable. So please don't copy MS Word, or if you do at least copy it all the way.

Going back to the alignment tool, following the background color example, why is it that the first time I click on it I do not get a dropdown as I do with the background color? The first time I click it, it selects the cell content; my thinking is "what is this tool doing, selecting the content of the cell"? Most users have already given up on your tool by now, but let's move on. Let me aim for the right side of the button and choose align center. My "last" selection was "center", right? Now I move to the next cell, I click on the alignment tool again. Shouldn't it apply the last alignment I used like with the previous cell?! I click on the tool again, and what do I get? It selects the content of the cell. At this point I'm convinced that this tool does in deed select the content of the cell rather than change the alignment (sarcasm alert). So much for consistency.

<sigh> Guys, I like you and your tools, but from a UI point of view the editor is a mess! Please, please fix it!

Thanks.

[Rumen]

We agree with you, Peter!

We logged your request and we will change the opening behavior of the Alignment tool in the Properties Inspector module. This change will allow the user to always open the dropdown by clicking on its icon as well as on its bottom arrow icon.

We do appreciate your feedback and detailed description of the problem and we updated your Telerik points.


Kind regards,
Rumen
the Telerik team

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