Conventions for scrollbars?

Question

If I have an image which is able to be zoomed in on, should I display scrollbars when zoomed?  One of the things that don't like about the (non-Metro) photo viewer in Windows is that it now has no scrollbars.  That might make sense for touch (although scrollbars are still useful to give you a context where you are within the picture), but doesn't make sense when you have a mouse and a keyboard. To a certain extent the lack of scrollbars could be alleviated by the keyboard interface working, but it doesn't in the Windows photo viewer.

What are the standards around using scrollbars in this sort of situation, and should there be a keyboard interface, given that Windows itself doesn't provide one?

...Stefan

Answer 1

Hi Stefan,

This forum is for Metro style application development.  It seems like you asking how to handle scrollbars in a Desktop application?

-Jeff

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Jeff Sanders (MSFT)

Answer 2

No, a Metro app.  Just using a similar example of a non-metro app, as the Metro photos app doesn't allow zooming at all, with the mouse anyway.

...Stefan

Answer 3

Hi Stefan,

I don't play with any of the Desktop development in Windows 8 (too busy here!).

You should post your question in this forum for non Metro style app development questions:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windowsdesktopdev

-Jeff

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Jeff Sanders (MSFT)

Answer 4

As I said, referring to the conventions for scrollbars when zooming in Metro apps.  That doesn't seem to be a clear situation as to what to do when you have zoomable content.  Scrollbars are easier for users with a mouse, and have the advantage of being able to visualise the size of the content, but I don't know what the advice about using them is.

Answer 5

OK I think I get you.  If you can or need to scroll, you should show scroll bars.  You can zoom in and scroll that zoomed content then. 

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Jeff Sanders (MSFT)

Answer 6

I have now been told at the application excellence session I went to that scrollbars should only be going in one direction.  So if your page scrolls horizontally then have horizontal scrolling.  If it scrolls vertically than have a vertical scrollbar. However you are not supposed to have things scrolling both ways. I think I will be granted an exemption because I am displaying zoomed pictures, so it makes no sense to have it scrolling only one way, but by and large both scrollbars are not desirable. 

Personally, I think that's a bit sad for people who need scrollbars for accessibility reasons. Using the mouse to drag around large content is a terrible idea for some people, but that seems to be the way things are going - fine for touch but useless with a mouse.

...Stefan