[pve-devel] [PATCH manager/widget-toolkit 0/2] ui: replace non-clickable checkboxes with Yes/No text

[Thomas Lamprecht]

Am 20/01/2023 um 12:17 schrieb Lukas Wagner:
> Consider this an RFC to maybe spark up a discussion about this. 
> 
> In our UI, we've been a bit inconsistent with the use of checkboxes/text
> for `enabled` properties in table views. Looking through the UI, I've
> found that the following UI elements use a checkbox UI control to
> indicate wheter something is enabled or not:
> 
>  * backup job overview
>  * APT repository overview
>  * replication job overview
> 
> While looking sleek, the problem with this is that from a user's
> perspective, a checkbox generally implies that it is operable by
> clicking on it (which we allow in other places, to make the matter even
> more confusing).

If it's editable it gets a pointer cursor, else not.
I see were you're comming from, but do we also have any complaints on official
channels w.r.t. this?
 > Now, for the three UI elements mentioned above, I would 
> say it is a good thing that they are not manipulateable from the overview,
> in order to avoid any accidental modifications.

yeah, making those editable should be avoided in general, and if over a action
toggle button, not the column that shows its current state.

> 
> My suggestion would be, and this is what I've included in this patch
> series, to replace those checkboxes with Yes/No text. This is the way
> how it is done in many other places of the system.

I would not be completely opposed, and it might be indeed a UX plus for some;
but it also has it's merits to have a language agnostic fixed width icon..

> 
> If we want something prettier, we could replace/augment the text with some
> fa-icon, e.g. a check-mark or an X - the important part is that they are
> visually distinct from ExtJS's checkboxes.

Yeah, I'd have a slight preference towards icons, but using x for disabled
is far from ideal (denotes errors); checkboxes are best for that - and there's
quite some prior art of disabled checkboxes for showing the state..

> 
> Note: Firewall configuration also uses a checkbox, however there it is
> possible to enable/disable elements by clicking on the checkbox - so
> this can stay as IMHO.

might want to move that to a action column with a explicit (but icon only)
toggle button.