Emphasize field name in error message (see attached pictures).

Actually this is rather a feature request, but let's say it's a usability bug. Shouldn't be a problem to still get it into D6 though.

CommentFileSizeAuthor
required error.patch1.59 KBpancho
required error (new).png20.79 KBpancho
required error.png20.58 KBpancho

Comments

gábor hojtsy’s picture

gábor hojtsy
he/him
Primary language Hungarian
Location Hungary
commented

I am not sure this is better. IMHO the normal font was used to provide a more readable sentence.

pancho’s picture

pancho
Location UTC+2 🇪🇺 EU
commented
Status: Active » Needs review

Don't think that readability is a problem here. The sentences are short, and it is important that the user understands at first sight that the error message is referencing a specific field on this page: the field called E-mail address for example. We could also wrap the field name in single quotes, but that wouldn't be better. Think that this is the best solution indeed.

pancho’s picture

pancho
Location UTC+2 🇪🇺 EU
commented
Title: Usability: Improve error messages on required and maxlength fields » String freeze: error messages on required and maxlength fields
Category: bug » task
keith.smith’s picture

keith.smith commented
Version: 6.x-dev » 7.x-dev

To quote Gábor from http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/development/2007-December/027977.html: "RC1 is string freeze, so whatever needs modifications in the strings is generally postponed to Drupal 7."

pancho’s picture

pancho
Location UTC+2 🇪🇺 EU
commented
Category: task » feature

Whow, this string freeze comes a bit early - there are still so many issues active...

pancho’s picture

pancho
Location UTC+2 🇪🇺 EU
commented
Title: String freeze: error messages on required and maxlength fields » Usability: Improve error messages on required and maxlength fields

Changed back title

gábor hojtsy’s picture

gábor hojtsy
he/him
Primary language Hungarian
Location Hungary
commented

Early? I hope the translators will not find it too late. Drupal 6 is a multilanguage release, so we'd like to see more translations getting ready by the release. Translators need time.

pancho’s picture

pancho
Location UTC+2 🇪🇺 EU
commented

Gábor: Sure, I absolutely understand both the translators' needs and your urgent need to finally get this D6 release out! The point is, that I prefer the Debian style "Release is, whenever we're done." instead of setting fixed timeslots. But nevermind - if D6 were 100% perfect, there would be nothing to fix or improve anymore... :) Wish you Happy Christmas, and hope you can relax a bit after all tis work!

gábor hojtsy’s picture

gábor hojtsy
he/him
Primary language Hungarian
Location Hungary
commented

Well, nobody said that the RC1 will be on any specific day, so I don't see where do we set any fixed timeslot. With all the previous major releases, there was a string freeze timed right with RC1 and was pre-announced several times, just as it happened in this case. There is nothing new about this. Happy Holidays!

dries’s picture

dries commented
Status: Needs review » Closed (won't fix)

I'm marking this won't fix. I don't think it is an improvement.

roball’s picture

roball commented
Title: Usability: Improve error messages on required and maxlength fields » Wrap field name within error message on required and maxlength fields into a class
Assigned: pancho » Unassigned
Issue summary: View changes
Status: Closed (won't fix) » Active

But why not using

form_error($elements, $t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => '<span class="message-field">' . $elements['#title'] . '</span>')));

instead of

form_error($elements, $t('!name field is required.', array('!name' => $elements['#title'])));

? This would then allow to use custom CSS like

.message-field {
  font-style: italic;
}

if you prefer emphasize field names (or styled in any way you like) in error messages, but would keep the format as it is if you don't set that CSS. Consider a field name Please select your favourite colors.. Currently, the user will be presented the following HTML error message:

Please select your favourite colors. field is required.

which is hard to understand. If the field name would be wrapped into a class as suggested above, the message would be

<span class="message-field">Please select your favourite colors.</span> field is required.

instead, allowing it to be clearly understood.

roball’s picture

roball commented
Status: Active » Closed (won't fix)

Since this won't be fixed in Drupal 7 core, I have written the Better Form Errors module which solves this problem. Re-assigning the previous status to this issue.