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CHAPTER 6
Data Input
Tapping 6-3
Tapping 6
People can quickly and accurately input data that an application presents in
a multiple-choice format such as a picker, scrolling list, set of checkboxes,
cluster of radio buttons, or slider. A user simply taps or drags to choose an
input value from the options presented.
Pickers 6
Pickers allow a user to enter information in a way that is fast, fun, and
intuitive. They have the added advantages of being easy to target and taking
up minimal real estate. The Newton system defines many types of pickers:
list pickers, overview pickers, location pickers, date pickers, time pickers,
and number pickers. In most of these pickers, a user can input data with a
couple of taps.
A picker simplifies data input by listing all the possible values, or at least
several common values, for an input field. A field’s picker is not visible until
a user taps the field’s label, which begins with a diamond. Then the picker
pops up, and the user can pick a listed input by tapping it in the picker. If the
user taps one of the picker items, the picked item becomes the field value
and the application displays it next to the field label. If the user does not tap
any of the picker items, there is no change to the selected input displayed
next to the picker. Figure 6-2 demonstrates how a picker works for data input.
A picker may always list the same set of inputs, or it may list different input
items each time it pops up. The application can modify a picker in response
to user input or to changes in the application’s environment.