does this design have a good usability?

Question

hello,

i am writing a financial application and i need to write a specialized file open dialog for the user to be able to load stock data files in two different formats: Computrac and CSI.

my dialog has a list view where i need to show these data files.

the format of CSI files can interpreted in three different ways and i need to ask the user which way they prefer. for that i am planning to have a drop down box in each CSI row that the user can change.

the Computrac format can be interpreted in two ways, and for that i have a checkbox.

i am thinking to place these checkboxes/dropdowns in a separate column and show them only for selected item(s) and hide them for unselected items. below is a screen shot.

my question to the usability experts: is this confusing? is there a better way? showing them for every item would make the table crowded, would it not? on the other hand, when there is no selection, the user won't see these controls at all and would not know that they are there.

please give me your opinions. thanks konstantin

Answer 1

Personally, I like the way you have it now. Sure, the option will not be seen until selected, but the user is going to have to select it if they want to import it anyway, and chances are they will be looking for the list item first before looking for options.

In fact, you could even say that since it only shows up when they select it, the option will be more noticeable since it appears on click, making the use less likely to miss the option.

Answer 2

One of the most import things in usability design is visibility (Donald Norman). In your design, the user will not know his/her action until they actually click on the selected row. If you do want to keep this design, perhaps, fill in the the column with a short tip like 'Click for more actions' or something to that effect will be advisable.

Answer 3

For me it would make more sense to have these options in a separate screen, after the files have been selected, rather than having large areas of blank screen estate.