plugin activate should use buttons

[Denis de Bernardy]

I've a user who had problems with a plugin of mine. I eventually discovered the plugin was not activated, despite the fact he was consistently telling him that it was.

Fact is, he read the 'Activate' button as 'Activated' status, as in 'Selected theme'. I'm aware WP 1.5.1 highlights the active plugins in green. But based on this user, I suggest it is not enough. I suggest the following:

• Make the buttons in the plugin selector look like buttons (input type="button"...)

And to ensure the display is consistent:

• Make the buttons in the theme selector look like buttons as well

[anonymousbugger]

As the User referred to above, I have some input also. After realizing my "interpretation" error, I have gone back and examined the "Plugin Management" screen in an effort to determine what about it caused me to mis-read it so many times...

While I'm not exactly sure why, unless I'm careful, I still tend to interpret the plugin states as exactly opposite their true state. In thinking about it, I think I tend to scan the screen "horizontally". That is, I look at a plugin and then expect the final column to tell me it's *CURRENT* state - not what I can change it's state to. Obviously, if I slow down enough to really analyze the screen, it's intent makes sense, but it somehow seems backwards to me at a casual glance.

For example:

When I look quickly at a plugin that may read like this:

My Plugin | 1.0 | The Author | The Description | Activate

I tend to see that plugin as "Active". Again, I expect that last column to tell me it's *current* state, so somehow my brain is reading the final term as "Active". To me, the above line is very counter-intuitive to the actual meaning.

Here are a few alternatives to that layout that might tend to avoid this casual mis-interpretation:

1. Change the values in the last column to "Yes" or "No", and the header to "Active". At least this way, if you aren't familiar withe screen layout, you have to read the column header to determine what the "Yes" and "No" refer to. Once you are familiar with the screen, "Yes" and "No" tend to convey the proper meaning upon a "horizontal only" glance at a plugin.

2. Change to values to "On" and "Off" and the header to "Current State"

Bottom line, I think for useability, the term needs to indicate the plugin's *current* state in an unambiguous manner.

Thanks,

Jeff Godfrey

[jgodfrey]

I have uploaded a modified plugins.php file that illustrates what I feel is a better indication of plugin status. Only minor text changes were made, though deeper changes might be desirable also (variable name changes, etc).

Thanks,

Jeff

edited on: 05-05-05 23:28

[rob1n]

I'd say this is a pretty isolated situation... Deactivate, additionally, is highlighted in bright red when it's hovered over. Nofix.