5 ms·

For the reset button problem, why not have a reset button that saves the information (client-side), resets the form, and shows a new "Restore" button that does

For the reset button problem, why not have a reset button that saves the information (client-side), resets the form, and shows a new "Restore" button that does the obvious thing? Of course it only works with Javascript so the static version could use a smaller clear button or no clear button at all.

ars 18y ago
Saying 'Restore' is not actually obvious - restore what? Undo maybe, but then I'd expect it to undo a piece at a time. Put a onClick="confirm(...)" on the reset button maybe, if you feel they'll loose a lot of work.
- Hexstream 18y ago
  You're telling me the user will press Reset, see the form cleared and the new Restore button immediately appear, and not figure out what it means? And I'd say the Restore feature (or you can call it undo) is better than a confirmation. The confirmation is annoying if you really mean to clear the form and ineffective to prevent data loss (how many times have you regretted performing some action right after it's too late?).
  - vnorby 18y ago
    I don't see why you need a reset button at all. I don't think I've ever gone through a form and decided at the very end, after filling everything in, that I needed to just do it all over again with completely new values in every input box. Can you think of an example where you really needed it and wouldn't just refresh the page?
    - steelhive 18y ago
      For a consumer-oriented website, I think you're correct. If you're filling out the form as a one-time thing I don't see the reset button's usefulness. Probably a cancel button which takes the user to some previous step would be better. But if this form is part of an enterprise or small-office intranet application, and that's a form you fill out many times a day, perhaps 100s of times, then the form reset button might come in handy.
  - ars 18y ago
    > You're telling me the user will press Reset, see the form cleared and the new Restore button immediately appear, and not figure out what it means? Yes, I am. Sure some users will figure it out, but an upsettingly large percent of people will not. If you're making a site geared toward computer people you'll be OK, but if it's for a general audience, well, stuff that is blindingly obvious to you is incomprehensible to them. I've seen it too many times to take it for granted anymore. And you better not call it reset - because that's quite meaningless to a non web programmer. This stuff is much much harder than it seems.
    - kenver 18y ago
      Software Engineering 101 - assume all your users are idiots.
- kylec 18y ago
  Maybe instead of a new button the "Reset" button is relabeled "Oh Shit" and performs the restore operation. I certainly know that mirrors my reaction when I accidentally hit a reset button.

ars 18y ago

Saying 'Restore' is not actually obvious - restore what? Undo maybe, but then I'd expect it to undo a piece at a time. Put a onClick="confirm(...)" on the reset button maybe, if you feel they'll loose a lot of work.

Hexstream 18y ago
You're telling me the user will press Reset, see the form cleared and the new Restore button immediately appear, and not figure out what it means? And I'd say the Restore feature (or you can call it undo) is better than a confirmation. The confirmation is annoying if you really mean to clear the form and ineffective to prevent data loss (how many times have you regretted performing some action right after it's too late?).
- vnorby 18y ago
  I don't see why you need a reset button at all. I don't think I've ever gone through a form and decided at the very end, after filling everything in, that I needed to just do it all over again with completely new values in every input box. Can you think of an example where you really needed it and wouldn't just refresh the page?
  - steelhive 18y ago
    For a consumer-oriented website, I think you're correct. If you're filling out the form as a one-time thing I don't see the reset button's usefulness. Probably a cancel button which takes the user to some previous step would be better. But if this form is part of an enterprise or small-office intranet application, and that's a form you fill out many times a day, perhaps 100s of times, then the form reset button might come in handy.
- ars 18y ago
  > You're telling me the user will press Reset, see the form cleared and the new Restore button immediately appear, and not figure out what it means? Yes, I am. Sure some users will figure it out, but an upsettingly large percent of people will not. If you're making a site geared toward computer people you'll be OK, but if it's for a general audience, well, stuff that is blindingly obvious to you is incomprehensible to them. I've seen it too many times to take it for granted anymore. And you better not call it reset - because that's quite meaningless to a non web programmer. This stuff is much much harder than it seems.
  - kenver 18y ago
    Software Engineering 101 - assume all your users are idiots.
kylec 18y ago
Maybe instead of a new button the "Reset" button is relabeled "Oh Shit" and performs the restore operation. I certainly know that mirrors my reaction when I accidentally hit a reset button.