[Sigia-l] "clear" button on web forms

[Matthew deStwolinski]

The use of a checkbox to preserve data in a field seems to be a very
powerful tool in certain situations.  It seems useful when the user
meets some or all of the following criteria:

1. uses the tool often enough to be familiar with the persistence option
and when she would likely want to use it for certain fields
2. sometimes wants particular fields to persist (but not others)
3. often knows at the time the form is filled out which fields she wants
to persist
4. often wants the same set of fields (or at least some of the same set)
to persist over multiple iterations (the checkbox itself could persist)

In a situation like this, the checkbox gives the user a good, proactive,
customizable way of reducing repetitive tasks.  I think we'd all agree
that in this situation, a "clear" button by itself would not be nearly
as useful to the user.  In other situations, the per-field persistence
checkbox would likely not be as useful.  (Again, I expect most would
agree.)  It would likely not be as useful when the user meets some or
all of the following criteria:

1. is not particularly familiar with the tool
2. does not use the tool often enough for potential repetition to add up
to much
3. does not use the tool for multiple iterations that involve some of
the same data
4. does not know at the time the form is filled out which fields she
wants to persist (for instance, when the results of one iteration will
greatly affect the data involved in the next iteration)
5. has a pathological fear of checkboxes :-)

Separately, there are situations when a clear button will be useful to
the user, (with the benefit being weighted against the danger of its
accidental use.)  It would likely be useful when the user meets some or
all of these criteria:

1. sometimes wants to reuse most or all of the entered data from one
iteration to the next
2. at the beginning of one iteration, does not know what data he will
reuse on the next iteration (as in #4 of the previous list)
3. after seeing the results of one iteration, the user will likely
either use most/all of the same data, or will use none/not much of the
data (for instance, when the user submits increasingly specific searches
to narrow down choices until an information need is met, then the user
starts over with something completely different)

I would expect the situations where a clear button is useful to often be
different than the situations where the per-field persistence checkbox
is useful, but they are certainly not mutually exclusive.

Matthew