Re: Emacs setup assistants

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Fri, 21 May 2004, address@hidden wrote:

>> From: Ted Zlatanov <address@hidden>
>> Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 15:07:35 -0400
>> 
>> Normal users rarely appreciate this sort of view of the wizard
>> sequence.
> 
> Then what _do_ they prefer?

Cancel, Next, Previous.

>> The point is, give the user the illusion of a straight decision line
>> that they can use back and forth consistently.
> 
> I agree, but where did my suggestion deviate from this principle?

You said: "It would probably make sense to use some kind of outline
mode in such a buffer, whereby the user first sees only an outline of
the customization process (like one line per step); clicking on that
line would then reveal the details of that step.  Other buttons or
links could lead to advanced customization options and in-depth
descriptions for those who want that."

Unless I misunderstood, you're suggesting that the user should get a
view of the *whole* customization process.  I disagree, I think the
user should get one step at a time, with the aforementioned Cancel,
Next, Previous navigation buttons.  The Advanced button you mentioned
is a bow to the power users, but let's not forget that those who need
assistants appreciate simplicity.

Ted