WTF Alt-S means different things for appointment

[Paul]

This must break every user-friendliness rule in the book regarding
sane, predictable behaviour.

Alt-S saves appointments if they are not new. However, it sends
appointments when it is a newly created appointment. You could be
dealing with exactly the same appointment e.g. newly created, still
being composed and finalized, but depending on whether you've saved it
and re-opened it, Alt-S could send it out to the recipients before you
want it to.

I'm thinking that it completely defies any manner of common sense for
a shortcut key to map to different functions like that, for the same
thing. Basically, you can't just condition yourself to rely on any
one functionality, you must look up at the menu (in which case, it
isn't a far stretch just to mouse over, which defeats the purpose of a
shortcut key).

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

You don't send appointments -you send meeting requests. Alt+S is the
shortcut for Send and if the item is not sendable, it will save and close
(it could do nothing or complain that the item is not sendable).

Use Ctrl+S to save but keep open. When you open a meeting request you
previously sent and alt+s, it will send updates if you made changes (and it
may not ask if you want to send an update). Ctrl+S (the traditional save
command) will ask if you want to send updates.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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[Paul]

If I double-click in the calendar (month view), I get an untitled
event. Alt-S maps to saves and close If I specify invitees, Alt-S
maps to send. That's the sudden change in shortcut mapping that
causes errors.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Alt+S is save & close only to be friendly - it's always Send if the item has
a mail header. if it's a problem, get in the habit of always putting
garbage in the to field or addressing meeting last or setting a rule to
delay sneding for a min or two so you can recover the meeting.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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[Paul]

I'm sure there are work arounds if one learns how to delve into the
bowels of the application, but I don't consider it user friendly for
the default bahaviour of a shortcut key to change as a result of
clicking on Invite. Just my opinion of user-friendliness. Shortcut
keys usually provide a quicker way to do things than the graphical
GUI, but needing to examine the toolbar to see the behaviour before
using it not only torpedos that advantage, but also poses a hazard.

 

[Bob I]

It sounds like you are misusing Alt-S, and then being surprised when it
works as designed.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

 

[Paul]

It sounds like you are suggesting is that it makes sense for a
calendar event's shortcut key mapping to change after clicking on
Invite. It also sounds like you don't think this is a problem for a
functionality as crucial as Send.

If that's the case, then I guess we agree on our disagreement.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Alt+S is NOT Save. CTRL+S = SAVE. Alt+S is SEND, that it happens to save
appointments is a bonus.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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[Paul]

I agree. It is a bonus. But in terms of design for consistent
predictable GUI behaviour, having shortcut keys change on the fly is a
"bonus" in the same way that a tumour is a bonus. Again, if it were
not so crucial as a Send function, it would be a mere inconvenience.
This is a valid identification of a hazardous "feature". We have such
disparate views of what good GUI design is that we might as well agree
to disagree rather than trying to outshout each other with
capitalization.

BTW, the sometimes-operation for Alt-S is not Save, it is Save-and-
Close. It is not the same as Alt-S.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

I'll pass your comments along to the product team so they can remove the
save action in future versions when the item lacks a mail header.


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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mailto:[email protected]

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[Paul]

Thank you.

I'll pass your comments along to the product team so they can remove the
save action in future versions when the item lacks a mail header.