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But the back button (if I'm remembering right) on the Android (which is always there) isn't always consistent in its functionality. In some apps it does one thi

by tibbon 15y ago

But the back button (if I'm remembering right) on the Android (which is always there) isn't always consistent in its functionality. In some apps it does one thing, in some apps it does another. At least the home button is more consistent.

Pewpewarrows 15y ago
Android has both a home and a back button. The inconsistency you talk about only happens when authors poorly create their applications. Android's entire multitasking functionality is built on top of a stack of activities, which is easiest to think of as a stack of screen views. I start at my "desktop", click on my Photo Gallery, decide to share an image using Dropbox, and it takes me to choosing a Dropbox folder. That's roughly three activities or so (depending on how many screens within each app I have to go through) all on a stack. Built properly, if I decide I don't want to share on Dropbox while choosing a folder, I would just hit the back button, it'd pop the Dropbox folder browsing screen off the stack, and take me back to browsing my Photo Gallery. Poorly-created apps will try and "recreate" their internal activity stack when they're not supposed to. Let's say that getting to Dropbox's folder browser if I were to launch the app independently took four activities in and of itself. If Dropbox was poorly written, it would try and recreate that natural flow of previous activities when you're just trying to do a share, so hitting the back button won't take you to the Photo Gallery from sharing. Sorry, it's complicated to explain but makes perfect sense when you're actually using a device. The tl;dr is that if app developers don't suck the back button's behavior is seamless and consistent.
- dpark 15y ago
  If it's complicated to explain, then it's complicated. Android's back button strikes me as an interesting idea that doesn't really work. If it depends on application X doing the right thing in order for the experience using application Y to be pleasant, then it seems pretty broken.
  - Pewpewarrows 15y ago
    Again, people who've never used it think it's complicated. It's really not, and it's extremely intuitive as soon as you start using the device. In the same vain, any poorly-written application on any device that doesn't conform to UI standards and guidelines will drag down the experience when using that device. This isn't a problem unique to Android, but it's more obvious when apps violate it due to how multitasking is built into the OS from the ground-up.
    - dpark 15y ago
      If it's not complicated, why do some Android users complain about it? If it's as intuitive as you say, shouldn't everyone be happy with it? As for poorly-written apps dragging down the experience, I don't think that's necessarily a given. Obviously if you have a crappy app, then using that app sucks, but that crappy app shouldn't also make the experience of using other apps crappy.
      - rodh257 15y ago
        I've found that those that switch from iOS complain about it the most, as they are used to the one button approach. Just like swapping between any OS I guess, you have the things you are used to and initially, the new idioms don't sit well with you.
      - Pewpewarrows 15y ago
        Average internet users don't understand why Twitter hijacks their back button on the browser, but I'm sure if given the choice between no back button and one that works almost the entire time, I'm sure you can tell which they'd go for.
        dpark 15y ago
        I'm not sure that's a very meaningful point. Your Android device is not a browser. Your desktop/laptop OS functions just fine without a global back button. So does iOS. If I'm given the choice between no global back button or one that annoys me 5% of the time, I'll take no global back button. My browser can still have its own.
- hamedh 15y ago
  You are right, and the stack of Activities make perfect sense from the perspective of a developer. But for example, as a user, I think it's confusing that you can open an app from home screen and can go back to home 2 different ways (either back or home button). Also, if it's that easy for developers to mess up navigation, then it's going to create a frustrating experience for user.

by tibbon 15y ago

Pewpewarrows 15y ago

Android has both a home and a back button. The inconsistency you talk about only happens when authors poorly create their applications. Android's entire multitasking functionality is built on top of a stack of activities, which is easiest to think of as a stack of screen views. I start at my "desktop", click on my Photo Gallery, decide to share an image using Dropbox, and it takes me to choosing a Dropbox folder. That's roughly three activities or so (depending on how many screens within each app I have to go through) all on a stack. Built properly, if I decide I don't want to share on Dropbox while choosing a folder, I would just hit the back button, it'd pop the Dropbox folder browsing screen off the stack, and take me back to browsing my Photo Gallery. Poorly-created apps will try and "recreate" their internal activity stack when they're not supposed to. Let's say that getting to Dropbox's folder browser if I were to launch the app independently took four activities in and of itself. If Dropbox was poorly written, it would try and recreate that natural flow of previous activities when you're just trying to do a share, so hitting the back button won't take you to the Photo Gallery from sharing. Sorry, it's complicated to explain but makes perfect sense when you're actually using a device. The tl;dr is that if app developers don't suck the back button's behavior is seamless and consistent.

dpark 15y ago
If it's complicated to explain, then it's complicated. Android's back button strikes me as an interesting idea that doesn't really work. If it depends on application X doing the right thing in order for the experience using application Y to be pleasant, then it seems pretty broken.
- Pewpewarrows 15y ago
  Again, people who've never used it think it's complicated. It's really not, and it's extremely intuitive as soon as you start using the device. In the same vain, any poorly-written application on any device that doesn't conform to UI standards and guidelines will drag down the experience when using that device. This isn't a problem unique to Android, but it's more obvious when apps violate it due to how multitasking is built into the OS from the ground-up.
  - dpark 15y ago
    If it's not complicated, why do some Android users complain about it? If it's as intuitive as you say, shouldn't everyone be happy with it? As for poorly-written apps dragging down the experience, I don't think that's necessarily a given. Obviously if you have a crappy app, then using that app sucks, but that crappy app shouldn't also make the experience of using other apps crappy.
    - rodh257 15y ago
      I've found that those that switch from iOS complain about it the most, as they are used to the one button approach. Just like swapping between any OS I guess, you have the things you are used to and initially, the new idioms don't sit well with you.
    - Pewpewarrows 15y ago
      Average internet users don't understand why Twitter hijacks their back button on the browser, but I'm sure if given the choice between no back button and one that works almost the entire time, I'm sure you can tell which they'd go for.
      - dpark 15y ago
        I'm not sure that's a very meaningful point. Your Android device is not a browser. Your desktop/laptop OS functions just fine without a global back button. So does iOS. If I'm given the choice between no global back button or one that annoys me 5% of the time, I'll take no global back button. My browser can still have its own.
hamedh 15y ago
You are right, and the stack of Activities make perfect sense from the perspective of a developer. But for example, as a user, I think it's confusing that you can open an app from home screen and can go back to home 2 different ways (either back or home button). Also, if it's that easy for developers to mess up navigation, then it's going to create a frustrating experience for user.