Re: modal dialogs

> At 09:35 AM 8/4/2003, Frank Paris wrote:
> >Modal dialogs should only be used when they ARE necessary, when the
> >program needs user input before it can procede to do anything else
> >without getting into incoherent or undefinable behavior. Otherwise
> >modeless dialogs should be used. Modal dialogs under Windows MFC aren't
> >that much simpler than modeless dialogs. What isn't simpler is the
> >developer's task of thinking before acting rather than mindlessly using
> >modal dialogs all the time. I have found however that most of the time
> >modal rather than modeless dialogs are appropriate.
>
> and Scott Meyers wrote:
> Hmmm, I have found quite the opposite.  Other than "This program has
> performed an illegal operation and is about to crash," can you give me
> examples of where you believe modal dialogs are appropriate?
>
There may be other designs, but I think the use of a modal dialog to set
e.g. compiler
settings is a reasonable decission. When you don't change the settings
frequently you
concentrate on the one task (customizing the compiler) click the OK button
and then
forget it. This has the further benefit, that you cannot accidently change
the settings
as you could, if a modeless dialog was used.
And maybe that is the point: use modal dialogs
  - to display a message that has to be confirmed (as in your example)
  - to adjust some set-once-then-forget options

Norbert