Timeouts in message boxes

[Adriaan de Groot]

On Thursday 07 October 2004 13:04, Olaf Jan Schmidt wrote:
> [Adriaan de Groot, Donnerstag, 7. Oktober 2004 00:45]
> > I need a KMessageBox with a timeout
>
> What do you need it for?

Thank you for completely ignoring the technical issue at hand, which is the 
exec() in the KMessageBox methods. However, your question is a valid one, 
which I shall address.

The situation is that during a Palm Pilot HotSync, we may need to query the 
user about certain actions (eg. delete the entire database). However, while 
the connection exists we are also draining the handheld's batteries, so this 
is not a query we can just leave up forever -- something needs to be done, 
and within a resonable timespan. (The handheld times out and the sync fails 
after 30 seconds _anyway_, so we need a response from the user before then, 
or otherwise we can just take down the query again, knowing that the sync has 
failed).

> Is there no other solution rather than a timeout?

Given the context - Palm Pilots, with their fiddly buttons, low-contrast 
screens, etc.  - I have my doubts that  a 30 second timeout is going to be an 
insurmountable usability problem when the entire ergonomics of the device 
isn't.

-- 
Don't worry, 't ain't no shame to be stupid - ol' mouse.
    GPG: FEA2 A3FE Adriaan de Groot