Performance Guidelines

There are several points during a drag-and-drop operation that the timing and response to the user is critical. The responsibility for ensuring optimal performance belongs to the source and destination applications, as well as the Motif Drag-and-Drop API and Drag-and-Drop Convenience API.

The following time line explains the individual user steps and system responses in a drag-and-drop operation. The suggested guideline for interaction timing is noted after the relevant step.

1. The user makes a selection. The pointer is over the selected object. The user presses and holds down the mouse button.

2. The user starts to move the pointer. The user should be able to move the pointer 10 pixels before a drag is initiated. If the user is pressing BTransfer, there is no drag threshold.

   The pointer changes to a drag icon when the drag is initiated.

   Movement Latency: The latency from hand movement to drag icon display should be less than 50 ms with a maximum limit of 70 ms.

3. The user drags over a drop zone, crossing the boundary line with the hot spot on the drag icon.

   The drag icon changes to the cannot pointer if it is not over a valid drop zone. The drop zone becomes highlighted if it is a valid drop zone.

   Movement Latency: The latency from hand movement to drag icon display should be less than 50 msec. with a maximum limit of 70 msec.

4. The user drops the drag icon on the drop zone.

   If the drop zone is not valid, the drag icon is snapped back to the source using the snap back transition effect.

   If the drop zone is valid, the drag icon is melted into the destination using the melt in transition effect.

   Echo Latency: The display latency from mouse button release to feedback echo should be less than 50 msec. with a maximum limit of 120 msec.

   Snappy Transitions: Transitional animations should run from 200 to 350 msec. with a maximum limit of 500 msec. The animation should run at the same speed regardless of hardware conditions.

5. The destination application starts the data transfer.

   A message is displayed to the user indicating data transfer has started.

   Progress is indicated by further messages.

   The completion of the data transfer is indicated to the user.

   If the data transfer fails, it is up to the destination application to provide the user with appropriate feedback as to why it failed.

   Command Latency: The latency from command invocation (drop occurred) to completion should be in the range of 0.3 to 1 second with a maximum of 2 seconds.

   Busy Feedback: When a command may run longer than 2 seconds, display a busy cursor whenever the cursor is over the busy object. When possible, display partial results. The progress indicator or busy cursor should be displayed in less than 0.5 second.

   Progress Indicators: A status message or an In Progress *messagebox* should be displayed upon completion of the transitional animation indicating the data transfer is taking place. For example: Data transfer is 10% complete. This message can then be updated every 2 to 3 seconds until the transfer is 100% complete.

   Notice: If the data transfer fails, a message should appear, either in the status area or in an In Progress *messagebox*, indicating why the drop failed and what the user can do about it, if anything.