Topic       : The ATARI Compendium
Author      : Scott Sanders / JAY Software
Version     : 1.25 (20/6/2003)
Subject     : Documentation
Nodes       : 1117
Index Size  : 32614
HCP-Version : 6
Compiled on : Atari
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@lang       : en
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                            Progress Indicators


When an application begins a task that may require a substantial
amount of time to complete, it is normally appropriate to change the
mouse to a BUSY_BEE form to indicate to the user a long action is
taking place.

If the screen display does not reflect the actual task in real time,
it is helpful to display a progress bar (sometimes referred to as
a thermometer) indicator on screen to remind the user that an task is
indeed taking place and that the computer has not entered a locked
state. In this case, you may leave the mouse form in the ARROW shape so
that the user may perform other functions in a multitasking
environment.

It is helpful to place a progress bar for potentially long operations
into a window so that other applications or desk accessories may be
accessed. When possible, the exact length of the operation might be
stated like "Time Left: xx:xx".

The progress bar should move as closely as possible to a true
proportional representation of time (i.e. avoid circumstances where it
might take ten seconds to move from 25% to 50% but only a second to
move from 50% to 100%).

An example progress bar showing a task in progress is shown below: