• From: Canada
  • Registered: 06/04/2008
  • Posts: 72

Topic: Ajax loading/processing bar

This is more cosmetic / usability thing, but sometimes when there is a long search going on I find myself clicking the button twice out of pure impatience. I know that in FA 2.0 a progressbar was updated, but I haven't seen it show up anywhere... Is there plans to have a process / or loading status for long searches or longer than usual posting of data? Would be cool to have like a lightbox affect where the screen would fade out leaving just a middle a box that says loading... followed by an animated loading gif commonly seen out there.

  • Registered: 12/25/2007
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Ajax loading/processing bar

You are absolutely right. This feature is implemented, but not used yet. This is right moment to make it run, but in fact I couldn't decide about the form and where to put it in different themes.
Ajax update indicator should be reasonably small, but yet noticeable. I would like to avoid fade out all the page as in fact the user interface is not blocked during ajax call and user can continue data entry in other fields (when appropriate). Also progress bar displayed in message box (like this one implemented in FA FoxPro import module) seems to be too annoying regarding to small selector updates cus opening/closing msgbox moves all the page layout up and down.
Have you got any idea how it should look like?

Janusz

3 Reply by t2webby (edited by t2webby 10/09/2008 09:00:41 pm)

  • From: Canada
  • Registered: 06/04/2008
  • Posts: 72

Re: Ajax loading/processing bar

I think the best would be to hide the submit button (for search / post /  submit buttons ) and also the search combobox and toggle it with a loading animated gif and toggle it back when the process is done. (if the screen doesn't get forwarded so another screen). This way, users will know that what their request is being processed and will avoid them clicking on the button repeatedly. This should easier to implement and would be both small and at the same time make an impact.

Anyone of these small ajax indicator gif would be fine.

http://www.ajax.su/ajax_activity_indicators.html


Have you also considered the Jquery Library? It has quite nice plugins and now has a UI frawework now.

  • Registered: 12/25/2007
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Ajax loading/processing bar

I do not see easy way to supersede geometrically different ui controls with any one standard ajax indicator. I would like to avoid unpleasant display flicker when ajax request starts, so the best for me would be to add one central indicator, maybe in the bar under main menu, or changing some common attribute of waiting control (color? border?).

Regarding jQuery I was looking into it and some other js libs when FA ajaxification started, but decided to use JsHttpRequest for some reasons (e.g. suerb foreign encoding support, less code weight, php integration - all what we needed).

Janusz

  • From: Canada
  • Registered: 06/04/2008
  • Posts: 72

Re: Ajax loading/processing bar

Yes, a central indicator would be good as start, maybe in the same place as the hint box? I also  think buttons should at least be disabled when there is a post submitted or while there is an Ajax processing/loading. Is it possible?

  • Registered: 12/25/2007
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Ajax loading/processing bar

OK, I will try to add the indicator when I have some time this week.

7 Reply by itronics (edited by itronics 10/17/2008 11:41:34 am)

  • Registered: 12/25/2007
  • Posts: 2,446

Re: Ajax loading/processing bar

Ajax indicator has been implemented in CVS unstable branch. You can test the code on http://fa2.iron.from.pl under aqua, cool or default theme.