General usability concepts

This section gives some general explanations about the way the end-user interface works. In some cases these are (slightly) different from the way other Windows applications work. Our focus has always been ease-of-use, and we have aimed to avoid many annoying aspects of other systems.

Message Boxes

These are not used a lot in AQT because having to click on OK to close boxes can sometimes be a real nuisance and interrupt you. Instead, AQT's informative messages are written to the Status Bar at the bottom of the window. Click on a long message to see the full text.

Status Bar

Instead of using message boxes, AQT will place error and informative messages in the status box at the bottom of the window.

If the message is long and doesn't fit into the status bar, click on the message to see the full text.

AQT Message Box

On the rare occasions when we do display a message box you may see AQT's own version of a message box. This has the advantages that you can

• re-size it if it's displaying a lot of data
• print it
• save its contents
• copy its contents to the clipboard.

These are all shortcomings of standard message boxes which have always annoyed the hell out of us!.

Window sizes

Most windows can be re-sized. AQT will remember these sizes, even across AQT sessions. In the Database Explorer window the right divider-bar can be moved; this position is remembered too.