Chapter 16 -- Prefer the Standard Controls
Many programs out there are definitely not normal. You know the programs I'm talking about—you can spot them a mile away. They look weird, they don't look or behave like most other Microsoft Windows programs, and they make you feel uncomfortable when you use them.
Many of these programs acquire their strangeness by using custom controls unnecessarily. Perhaps their developers chose to use custom controls to make these programs stand out. They succeeded. The programs stand out because they don't look and feel right. In the worst cases, they look unprofessional. Most mainstream programs I have seen that make heavy use of custom controls probably shouldn't have.
To help prevent your programs from standing out for the wrong reasons, you should always try to employ the standard controls—which I consider to be the six original basic controls and the new Win32 common controls—whenever you can and to reserve custom controls, whether you develop them yourself or acquire them from a third party, for unusual circumstances.
It's important to note that third-party controls can be extremely valuable in developing Windows software. They offer off-the-shelf solutions to complex problems and are available at a fraction of the cost of designing, implementing, and testing equivalent code from scratch. In fact, third-party controls are some of the most successful examples of software reuse in the field.
But standard controls have a significant advantage over custom controls simply because they are standard. The standard controls look good together and constitute a significant part of the Windows look and feel. Using them also satisfies the Designed for Microsoft Windows logo requirements, especially the accessibility requirements. Users already know how they work. Users know what they look like, can identify them easily, and know how to interact with them. They don't have to spend time figuring out the controls. With custom controls that look or behave differently, the user has to learn how to use them. It might not be a big effort for a single control—the user might only have to look at the screen and conclude, "Oh, that's just a weird radio button"—but extra effort is required. Remember that your users want to get their work done quickly and that having to expend extra effort to perform their work isn't likely to be well received.
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Standard controls have a significant advantage over custom controls simply because they are standard. Users already know how they work.
Of course, this is not to say that all custom controls are bad or that you should never use custom controls. It depends upon the controls and how you use them. But you should limit the use of custom controls to circumstances in which they are really needed and be careful in choosing them. Don't use custom controls just because you can. Have a reason to utilize them instead.
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Don't use custom controls just because you can. Always have a reason.
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Pages: 334