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Background:
We are developing a web application that includes charts. Currently one can left-click on a chart point to zoom/drill-down into that section of the data. We are adding some other functionality that allows users to add meta data to data points. I know users will be exclusively using Mozilla, though I shy away from anything that limits to a single browser. No js libraries please.

Question:
What type of "click should I use for adding metadata to an element that already has a left-click (hyper-link)?

Some alternatives I've brainstormed:

  • capture oncontext menu of right-click (this is abhorrent to me)
  • double-click
  • ctrl-click
  • make left-click open a context-ish menu that has the existing left-click as well as new functionality

Are there any conventions for these? What would you find most intuitive?

Brian Tompsett - 汤莱恩
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Adam
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5 Answers5

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Rather than having a single click zoom in, why not use a double click instead? Personally, I find that to be more intuitive when viewing something not to mention it being a fairly common standard.

Nathan Taylor
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    I second this. Also consider responding to the scroll wheel events as well. – Rodrick Chapman Jan 06 '10 at 21:50
  • In our particular case the mouse wheel might not be appropriate because it takes a few seconds to generate the content so the user won't see any reaction. Also the "zoom" is at discreet levels instead of a gradient like Google Maps. Based on the info in my OP though, I agree that a mouse wheel would be apealing. – Adam Jan 12 '10 at 16:34
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Put some kind of affordance (maybe a small icon) next to the link that responds to a single click. Else, go with a right click.

Rodrick Chapman
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    Hijacking right-click in a browser is a pretty nasty thing to do! – Nathan Taylor Jan 06 '10 at 21:50
  • Ooooh, brilliant (the icon, not the right-click). We also already have a tool-tip div, so I can add it there. This is why I love SO. – Adam Jan 06 '10 at 21:55
  • Agreed, but I'm assuming such functionality will only apply to a proper subregion of the page then it's no different than any other kind of plugin... it just happens to be implemented in JS+DOM. – Rodrick Chapman Jan 06 '10 at 21:56
  • @noblethrasher - The plugin limitation isn't so much that of a dislike or lack of client support, but a business issue with adding to the project (think Dilbert). – Adam Jan 06 '10 at 21:59
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Try to meet the users expectations. What do they expect to happen when they single-click, double-click, etc... i.e. How do other applications handle that action?

Darrell Brogdon
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  • The most prominent application to do something similar is Excel with a right-click to add a comment. If I use this then I feel the moral responsibility to include standard context-menu items like copy/paste, opening in new window/tab, and spell check. See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/779689/right-mouse-click-in-web-applications-good-or-bad-idea/779708#779708 – Adam Jan 06 '10 at 21:52
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I would change your idea from a type of click to a specific mode in the chart.

The problem with a special type of click is that there is no affordance for the capability that you want to provide. There is no apparent thing in the user interface that says, "The user is able to add meta-data to data points." Users would only be able to learn about this through trial-and-error or training. Or, perhaps, a note on your app that says, "Ctrl-click to add meta-data." But that is not elegant.

A better approach might be to have a mode button. I'm picturing a toolbar. Think about Microsoft Word, where selecting the Highlight tool turns your pointer into a highlighter. In highlight mode, you can click and drag to highlight text. You can then switch to other modes, like the default text mode. Perhaps you should have an "Add Metadata" mode.

In general for UI design, if you're trying to do something that seems non-standard, think about how existing products have solved the problem. How does Microsoft Excel let you add information to a data point in a chart, for example? Maybe it doesn't. But are there other products that do?

David Koelle
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  • Excel does allow you to add "Comments", but as a geek on the web a lot right-click override makes me angry and I don't want to subject others. – Adam Jan 06 '10 at 21:57
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My vote is the "make left-click open a context-ish menu that has the existing left-click as well as new functionality". That needs the least amount of documentation to explain to users how to use. And for a web app usually users expect and read zero documentation.

slebetman
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