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gui with screenshot

 
Greenhorn
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Just wanted some feedback on my main gui before I submitted my project. I decided to keep it really simple. I created an advanced search box and comboboxes for the exact match searching so that the user doesn't always have to retype the entire name which can be tedious. Error box's pop up for certain errors, such as all those exceptions we're supposed to throw. It also makes sure that you enter a 8 digit user ID when you attempt to book your first record.

 
Ranch Hand
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Do you need that Advanced Search?

If you're doing the same assignment as me (and I think you are), then a search on bookable rooms (rooms that have an availability date within 48 hours of the current server date) might be more useful.

But what do I know?
 
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1- Regarding the first form :
The GUI looks very friendly and i liked the idea of letting the user specify
the search criteria through lists.

For the error messages,in my application, i display error messages to the user,in a JLabel with a red font.This Label is located below the JTable.

2-Regarding the Advanced Search Form :
The components in this form are not well aligned.I suggest to user the
GridBagLayout for this form.The GridBagLayout can give you the layout you get
as if you are dealing with an HTML table.This will solve the alignment issue.
 
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IntelliJ IDE Java Linux
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Hi Tom,

You just do some serious presumption here, that the user will need and advance search feature just because the data access layer provides this.
The D.A. layer provides this extended search feature to serve various clients (in the future), this client can be swing clients or what ever.
This feature was not required, if you care about this(and this is good)
you need to provide something like :


Your user interface should be designed with the expectation of future functionality enhancements, and it should establish a framework that will support this with minimal disruption to the users when this occurs.


With other words don't provide the feature(s), provide only a convenient way to add new feature(s).

An other point is that your advance search UI functionality is not so obvious for someone which does not knows the specification. I mean what happen if you let an empty field ? there are some mandatory fields ? etc.
And now about the layout : your design is clutter, try to balance (and order) it - with other words try to align somehow your components.

And now the search bottom panel - if you select a hotel name and a localtion name the component label disappear (the user must memorize some components and them position).
If you decide to use an search panel, you need strong argument(s) but one argument against it is that you pollute your main UI with unnecessary things, more if the search feature will be extend in the future, you'll alter with this also the main view (if the future search view will be complex - and that means big this will swallow a big part from the main UI).

And now the good parts, the window(dialog) titles are ok.

Opps so much text on such a early hour, I think is something in the coffee.

Regards M
 
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I wonder how do you go to "Advanced Search" from first form, if it is in either "File" or "Edit" menu, then I suggest you move it to just near the "Search" button.
 
Mihai Radulescu
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There are multiple ways to trigger the advance search UI(sub menu, pop up menu, etc), but this is not the point my point is a separate UI for search.
You can not presume that your ui will have only two menus.
Because the my specification requires :


Your user interface should be designed with the expectation of future functionality enhancements, and it should establish a framework that will support this with minimal disruption to the users when this occurs.



I presume that the actual search function will be extended (or improved).

Regards M.
 
With a little knowledge, a cast iron skillet is non-stick and lasts a lifetime.
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