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Pre 2.0 DoL log window input form
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Coder
#1 Posted : Sunday, November 14, 2010 2:50:45 AM(UTC)
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Coder


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Groups: FFXIV Player
Joined: 10/30/2010(UTC)
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I'm mining and botany as main, haven't done any fishing so I can't comment on that. Could the input interface be made a bit more user friendly though? I seem to spend more time in the interface than I do in game since it is so fussy!

Here are my suggestions (based on the Mining form) :-

Firstly, move "rank", "Location", "Grade of resource" and "Pickaxe used" into a higher level form since these values will not normally change in a session (see below). Once that form is completed, it populates the child form with the data needed.

A dropdown box requires two clicks and some scrolling to select an item, while a radio button would achieve the same objective in a single click, One example of this would be the Quality: "normal, +1, +2 or +3" selection.

The final form would be in a column type layout, allowing the user to go from one column to the next, make a single click and move on:

* Column 1: Did you rank up? (checkbox) ... if checked, this will increment the rank in the parent form by one and uncheck itself for the next page view. In the same column, "Aim" as a series of values (-5 to +5) with radio buttons, default is the last one selected, or 0 if this is a new form.

* Column 2: Item obtained - this is a 3 part list with radio buttons, all part of the same grouping.
** Part 1: "Nothing found" and "Item Lost" both with radio buttons.
** Part 2: A list of items commonly found in the camp selected in the parent form, populated with a query from the database, and each with it's own radio button.
** Part 3: "None of the above" with a radio button in the same grouping. This then enables the dropdown box at the bottom of the list with the full listing of possible drops.

* Column 3: Count of items presented as the numbers 1 through 10, each with a radio button, default is the last number selected, or 1 if this is a new form.

* Column 4: Quality, presented as "normal, +1, +2 or +3" as radio buttons, default is the last item selected, or "normal" if this is a new form.

* Column 5: Skill points gained, presented in a list box (not a drop down) 5 rows high, default is the last number selected, and the list could run from 1 - 300 (for example, not sure what the max skill is outside of leves). Tuck the submit button under this and it's done!

Using this layout, the user would click once in column 1 (twice only if they ranked up), once in column 2, once in column 3, once in column 4, and twice in column 5 (only once if they got the same skill level) for a total of 5-7 clicks on the form. Compare this to the current 10 clicks, a couple of scrolls and hilighting and overwriting from 1 to 3 digits :)

My point is that the easier (and quicker) that the form is to use, the more likely people will use it.

I realise that this is a "wall of text", so I sat down and wrote out the basic HTML for such a form, with some interspersed comments to explain what is going on. Just copy the code block, save it as an .html file and open it - there are no scripts in it, it's for display only.

Code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>
example form
</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>
Example Form
</h1>
<table summary="Container" border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
<form action="">
<table summary="Parent table container" border="1"
width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
<table summary="Parent table content" border=
"0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
Rank: <input type="text" size="3" name=
"current rank">
</td>
<td>
Location:<select name="MiningLocation"
style="width: 120px;">
<option selected="selected" value="76">
Agelyss Wise
</option>
<option value="8">
Alder Springs
</option>
<option value="83">
Aleport
</option>
<option value="10">
Bald Knoll
</option>
<option value="7">
Bearded Rock
</option>
<option value="5">
Bentbranch
</option><!-- Snipped!! -->
</select>
</td>
<td>
Grade of resource:<select name=
"MiningGrade">
<option selected="selected" value="1">
1
</option>
<option value="2">
2
</option>
<option value="3">
3
</option>
<option value="4">
4
</option>
<option value="5">
5
</option><!-- Snipped!! -->
</select>
</td>
<td>
Pickaxe used:<select name="Pickaxe"
style="width: 120px;">
<option selected="selected" value=
"235">
Bronze Pickaxe
</option>
<option value="986">
Iron Dolabra
</option>
<option value="984">
Iron Pickaxe
</option>
<option value="298">
Plumed Bronze Pickaxe
</option>
<option value="985">
Polished Iron Pickaxe
</option>
<option value="826">
Weathered Pickaxe
</option>
</select>
</td>
</tr>
</table><!-- end parent content -->
</td>
</tr>
</table><!-- end parent container -->
<table summary="Child table container" border="0"
width="100%">
<tr>
<td>
<table summary="Child table content" border="1"
width="100%">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<!-- column 1 -->Rank up? <input type=
"checkbox" name="Rank up" value="No">
<!-- checking this box will increment the rank field above. The user can always change it there if they make a mistake -->
<br>
<hr>
Aim:<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="+5"> +5<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="+4"> +4<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="+3"> +3<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="+2"> +2<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="+1"> +1<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="0"> 0<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="-1"> -1<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="-2"> -2<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="-3"> -3<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="-4"> -4<br>
<input type="radio" name="Aim point"
value="-5"> -5<br>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<!-- column 2 -->Item Obtained:<br>
<font color="#008000"><input type="radio"
name="Item obtained" value="nothing">
Nothing<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item obtained"
value="lost"> Item lost</font><br>
<font color="#0000FF"><input type="radio"
name="Item obtained" value="item1"> Item
1 from database<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item obtained"
value="item2"> Item 2 from database<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item obtained"
value="item3"> Item 3 from database<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item obtained"
value="item4"> Item 4 from database<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item obtained"
value="item5"> etc., etc.</font><br>
<font color="#800080"><input type="radio"
name="Item obtained" value="none"> None
of the above</font><br>
     <select name="MiningObtainedItem"
style="width: 120px;" disabled="1">
<!-- this dropdown box is enabled by javascript on selecting the "non of the above" radio button -->
<option selected="selected" value="0">
-
</option>
<option value="436">
Alumen
</option>
<option value="586">
Blacklip Oyster
</option>
<option value="405">
Bloodworm
</option>
<option value="775">
Bone Ash
</option>
<option value="111">
Bone Chip
</option>
<option value="1">
Copper Ore
</option><!-- Snipped!! -->
</select>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<!-- column 3 -->Item Count:<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="1"> 1<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="2"> 2<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="3"> 3<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="4"> 4<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="5"> 5<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="6"> 6<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="7"> 7<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="8"> 8<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="9"> 9<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item count"
value="10"> 10<br>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<!-- column 4 -->Item Quality:<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item quality"
value="0"> Normal<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item quality"
value="+1"> +1<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item quality"
value="+2"> +2<br>
<input type="radio" name="Item quality"
value="+3"> +3<br>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<!-- column 5 -->Skill Points:<br>
<select size="5" name="skillups" mutiple=
"">
<option value="72">
72
</option>
<option value="73" selected>
73
</option>
<option value="74">
74
</option>
<option value="74">
75
</option>
<option value="74">
76
</option>
<option value="74">
77
</option>
<option value="74">
78
</option>
<option value="74">
79
</option>
<option value="74">
80
</option>
</select>
<hr>
<input type="submit" name=
"Submit Results">
</td>
</tr>
</table><!-- end child content -->
</td>
</tr>
</table><!-- end child container -->
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table><!-- end container -->
</body>
</html>



I didn't put any fancy layouts in and I cut down the lists considerably since it's only a demo, but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about above. I did, however, color the items list per the breakdown in the writeup above, so you can see where the changes come in! :)
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 2 users thanked Coder for this useful post.
tammany tzu on 11/14/2010(UTC), Kida on 11/16/2010(UTC)
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tammany tzu
#2 Posted : Sunday, November 14, 2010 10:44:32 AM(UTC)
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tammany tzu


Rank: Recruit

Groups: FFXIV Player
Joined: 9/27/2010(UTC)
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That's quite a post Coder...
I see that your name fits.
Thanks for the work.

tammany tzu

(ps. I'm not literate in code, but when I put it up in my editor it seems straight-forward enough.)

Edited by user Sunday, November 14, 2010 10:51:11 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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Coder on 11/22/2010(UTC)
Kida
#3 Posted : Tuesday, November 16, 2010 1:41:33 PM(UTC)
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Kida


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Hi Coder

Thanks for your very good analysis of the log. I agree with a lot of your points and must applaud you for your effort. At the moment I am revising the log altogether as I think it should be part of the maps. This way people will be able to pick a point on the map and skip a lot of the choices. Many people have given me other input on how to make the log as good as possible but I must say this is one of the most dedicated posts I have seen :D thanks so much for this.

I will consider all your points, many of them are valid... some of them won't really match the new way the log will work and others have already been considered. There where many new points though and I will try to implement them as best I can.
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Coder on 11/22/2010(UTC)
Coder
#4 Posted : Monday, November 22, 2010 12:33:42 AM(UTC)
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Coder


Rank: Amateur

Groups: FFXIV Player
Joined: 10/30/2010(UTC)
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Thanks Kida, I look forward to seeing it the new version :)

Hope you don't mind if I throw in more ideas then though (^.^)
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Kida
#5 Posted : Monday, November 22, 2010 2:47:04 AM(UTC)
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Kida


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You are most welcome... d(',^)
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