1.3 Adhere to all user-selected system settings for input and output
Contents
Most operating systems allow users to select their preferred settings for inputs and outputs. These include things like the keyboard repeat rate, mouse speed, double-click time, system fonts, colour scheme, cursor and pointer sizes and line widths. Applications should adhere to whatever preferences the user has selected. Similar guidelines are:
- 1.1 Ensure that users have access to the operating system accessibility tools, without affecting application functionality
- 1.4 Adhere to the standard keyboard access methods
Rationale
For some users, their preferred settings are the only settings that enable them to use the computer. For example, some users with visual impairments may be unable to read text unless it is in a large font and a particular colour scheme, such as yellow or white text on a black background. Users with poor motor control may be unable to point at and activate objects unless the mouse speed is reduced and the double-click time is increased. Most operating systems provide user-configurable settings for input and outputs. If the application does not apply these settings, some users may not be able to use it at all.
Directions and Techniques
Use standard system user interface components, such as menus, buttons and dialogs
If an application uses standard user interface components provided by the operating system, the system settings, such as the font size on buttons, will be applied automatically.
Use system calls to determine required display characteristics for non-standard elements
The system settings for input and output may not be automatically applied to custom components such as buttons and panes defined by the application. In this case, the correct settings can be determined through system calls, such as the SystemParametersInfo function in Windows.
How you could check for this:
There are no specific test methods recommended for this guideline.