[kde-guidelines] Styleguide: Balloon

[Heiko Tietze]

User Assistance > System triggered notification
* Provide Balloon to inform users about non-critical problems. 

http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/HIG/Balloon

Purpose
A ''balloon'' is a small pop-up window that informs users of a non-critical 
problem or special condition in a control. Balloons have an icon, a title, and 
body text, all of which are optional. Balloons are usually used with text 
boxes, or controls that use text boxes for changing values, such as combo 
boxes, list views, and tree views. Other kinds of controls are sufficiently well 
constrained, and don't need the additional feedback balloons afford.

Example
I added a non-Qt example because ballons are probably less known (or have 
different names). It should be replaced.

Guidelines
* Use balloon in cases of non-critical problems that user can solve.
* Display the information immediately.
* Display only one balloon at a time.
*  (Auto-) Remove a balloon when 
** the problem is resolved or special condition is removed, 
** the user enters valid data, 
** it times out (by default after 10 seconds).
* Remove the timeout if users can't continue until the problem is resolved.
* Display balloons below their owner control
* When users click a balloon, just dismiss the balloon without displaying any 
other UI or having any other side effect.
* Do not add additional controls to balloons.