NSAlert: Make second button both the default and cancel button
Apple's original HIGs (now disappeared from the web site, sadly) stated that:
The rightmost button in the dialog, the action button, is the button that confirms the alert message text. The action button is usually, but not always, the default button
In my case, I have some destructive operations (such as erasing a disk) that need "safe" confirmation dialogs, like this:
The worst option would be to make a dialog where the rightmost button would become the "do not erase" button, and the one left of it, which is usually, the Cancel button, would become the "erase" button, because that would lead easily to disaster (happened to me with a Microsoft-made dialog once), because people are trained to click the second button whenever they want to cancel an operation.
So, what I need is that the left (cancel) button becomes both the default button, and also reacts to the Return, Esc and cmd-period keys.
To make it default and also react to the Return key, I simply have to set the first button's keyEquivalent to an empty string, and the second button's to "r".
But how to I also make the alert cancel when Esc or cmd-. are typed?
macos cocoa nsalert
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
|
show 2 more comments
Apple's original HIGs (now disappeared from the web site, sadly) stated that:
The rightmost button in the dialog, the action button, is the button that confirms the alert message text. The action button is usually, but not always, the default button
In my case, I have some destructive operations (such as erasing a disk) that need "safe" confirmation dialogs, like this:
The worst option would be to make a dialog where the rightmost button would become the "do not erase" button, and the one left of it, which is usually, the Cancel button, would become the "erase" button, because that would lead easily to disaster (happened to me with a Microsoft-made dialog once), because people are trained to click the second button whenever they want to cancel an operation.
So, what I need is that the left (cancel) button becomes both the default button, and also reacts to the Return, Esc and cmd-period keys.
To make it default and also react to the Return key, I simply have to set the first button's keyEquivalent to an empty string, and the second button's to "r".
But how to I also make the alert cancel when Esc or cmd-. are typed?
macos cocoa nsalert
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
It's certainly against HIG that one button responds to both ↩ and ⎋. You can't assign two different key equivalents to a button anyway. You might design a custom view and implement your own logic for handling mouse and keyboard events
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 17:05
Is your Cancel button actually titled "Cancel"?
– Ken Thomases
Nov 17 '18 at 17:35
@vadian I disagree. Can you show a HIG article for macOS that supports your claim?
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:24
@KenThomases Yes, I forgot to mention that it's not called "Cancel", but rather "Don't Erase" or something similar. I realize that naming it Cancel might be a simply solution, perhaps.
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:25
Counter question: Can you show me an example (an app) where a default button responds to both return and ESC?
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 19:41
|
show 2 more comments
Apple's original HIGs (now disappeared from the web site, sadly) stated that:
The rightmost button in the dialog, the action button, is the button that confirms the alert message text. The action button is usually, but not always, the default button
In my case, I have some destructive operations (such as erasing a disk) that need "safe" confirmation dialogs, like this:
The worst option would be to make a dialog where the rightmost button would become the "do not erase" button, and the one left of it, which is usually, the Cancel button, would become the "erase" button, because that would lead easily to disaster (happened to me with a Microsoft-made dialog once), because people are trained to click the second button whenever they want to cancel an operation.
So, what I need is that the left (cancel) button becomes both the default button, and also reacts to the Return, Esc and cmd-period keys.
To make it default and also react to the Return key, I simply have to set the first button's keyEquivalent to an empty string, and the second button's to "r".
But how to I also make the alert cancel when Esc or cmd-. are typed?
macos cocoa nsalert
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
Apple's original HIGs (now disappeared from the web site, sadly) stated that:
The rightmost button in the dialog, the action button, is the button that confirms the alert message text. The action button is usually, but not always, the default button
In my case, I have some destructive operations (such as erasing a disk) that need "safe" confirmation dialogs, like this:
The worst option would be to make a dialog where the rightmost button would become the "do not erase" button, and the one left of it, which is usually, the Cancel button, would become the "erase" button, because that would lead easily to disaster (happened to me with a Microsoft-made dialog once), because people are trained to click the second button whenever they want to cancel an operation.
So, what I need is that the left (cancel) button becomes both the default button, and also reacts to the Return, Esc and cmd-period keys.
To make it default and also react to the Return key, I simply have to set the first button's keyEquivalent to an empty string, and the second button's to "r".
But how to I also make the alert cancel when Esc or cmd-. are typed?
macos cocoa nsalert
macos cocoa nsalert
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
edited Nov 17 '18 at 21:21
Thomas Tempelmann
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
asked Nov 17 '18 at 16:37
Thomas TempelmannThomas Tempelmann
5,75625092
5,75625092
It's certainly against HIG that one button responds to both ↩ and ⎋. You can't assign two different key equivalents to a button anyway. You might design a custom view and implement your own logic for handling mouse and keyboard events
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 17:05
Is your Cancel button actually titled "Cancel"?
– Ken Thomases
Nov 17 '18 at 17:35
@vadian I disagree. Can you show a HIG article for macOS that supports your claim?
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:24
@KenThomases Yes, I forgot to mention that it's not called "Cancel", but rather "Don't Erase" or something similar. I realize that naming it Cancel might be a simply solution, perhaps.
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:25
Counter question: Can you show me an example (an app) where a default button responds to both return and ESC?
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 19:41
|
show 2 more comments
It's certainly against HIG that one button responds to both ↩ and ⎋. You can't assign two different key equivalents to a button anyway. You might design a custom view and implement your own logic for handling mouse and keyboard events
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 17:05
Is your Cancel button actually titled "Cancel"?
– Ken Thomases
Nov 17 '18 at 17:35
@vadian I disagree. Can you show a HIG article for macOS that supports your claim?
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:24
@KenThomases Yes, I forgot to mention that it's not called "Cancel", but rather "Don't Erase" or something similar. I realize that naming it Cancel might be a simply solution, perhaps.
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:25
Counter question: Can you show me an example (an app) where a default button responds to both return and ESC?
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 19:41
It's certainly against HIG that one button responds to both ↩ and ⎋. You can't assign two different key equivalents to a button anyway. You might design a custom view and implement your own logic for handling mouse and keyboard events
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 17:05
It's certainly against HIG that one button responds to both ↩ and ⎋. You can't assign two different key equivalents to a button anyway. You might design a custom view and implement your own logic for handling mouse and keyboard events
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 17:05
Is your Cancel button actually titled "Cancel"?
– Ken Thomases
Nov 17 '18 at 17:35
Is your Cancel button actually titled "Cancel"?
– Ken Thomases
Nov 17 '18 at 17:35
@vadian I disagree. Can you show a HIG article for macOS that supports your claim?
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:24
@vadian I disagree. Can you show a HIG article for macOS that supports your claim?
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:24
@KenThomases Yes, I forgot to mention that it's not called "Cancel", but rather "Don't Erase" or something similar. I realize that naming it Cancel might be a simply solution, perhaps.
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:25
@KenThomases Yes, I forgot to mention that it's not called "Cancel", but rather "Don't Erase" or something similar. I realize that naming it Cancel might be a simply solution, perhaps.
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:25
Counter question: Can you show me an example (an app) where a default button responds to both return and ESC?
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 19:41
Counter question: Can you show me an example (an app) where a default button responds to both return and ESC?
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 19:41
|
show 2 more comments
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It's certainly against HIG that one button responds to both ↩ and ⎋. You can't assign two different key equivalents to a button anyway. You might design a custom view and implement your own logic for handling mouse and keyboard events
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 17:05
Is your Cancel button actually titled "Cancel"?
– Ken Thomases
Nov 17 '18 at 17:35
@vadian I disagree. Can you show a HIG article for macOS that supports your claim?
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:24
@KenThomases Yes, I forgot to mention that it's not called "Cancel", but rather "Don't Erase" or something similar. I realize that naming it Cancel might be a simply solution, perhaps.
– Thomas Tempelmann
Nov 17 '18 at 19:25
Counter question: Can you show me an example (an app) where a default button responds to both return and ESC?
– vadian
Nov 17 '18 at 19:41