openSUSE:YaST styleguide whyconsistency

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Why should I care about consistency?

Consistency supports the user in performing tasks in a efficient, effective and satisfying way. It will

  • Help user to navigate through different YaST modules following the same procedures.
  • Allow user to focus on the task not the tool.

Consistency increases:

  • suitability for the task: Does the software support users in performing their tasks?
  • self-descriptiveness: Is the software self-explaining and understandable?
  • controllability: Can a user influence how to work with the software?
  • conformity with user expectations: Does the software fit user's expectations and habits by using a consistent and coherent design?
  • error tolerance: How easily can a user recover from errors?
  • suitability for individualization: Can users adapt the software to their personal needs without too much effort?
  • suitability for learning: Does the design of the software provide an easy way of learning new functions?