>If you blindly follow MS way of defining apps, all data on a form is edit on demand...meaning that almost any field can be directly edited without having to click an "Edit" control. This has always disturbed me as I have specialized in financial systems where an "ooops" undetected and committed could cost millions.
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>In keeping with this thought process, I have always followed an "edit on request" interface where a good ol' edit button needs to be pressed before controls are enabled....but this has caused it's own share of mixed metaphors and inconsistancies in interfaces.
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>Any general thoughts on this????

After reading all the threads on this may I give my 2 cents.

IMHO:
1) Programmers are an arrogant lot.
2) No the customer is not always right.
3) No the customer is not always wrong.
4) Yes the customer pays the bill and ultimately has the last say.
5) If we don't agree with #4 we can work for someone else.
6) Yes we should *advise* the customer.
7) What is the purpose of programmers and computer programs? To help the customer sell their product at a profit. Whether this be a service or an actual product. Not, so the customer can have great computer programs.
8) What is the life blood of any database app? The data, and if it is destroyed or corrupted the app is worthless. And if this happens who is *right* doesn't amount to much.
9) There is no panacea for this problem. Each application should be judged on its own needs and programmed accordingly.
10) Any application that *handles* monies should take every precaution to prevent data corruption. I sure hope my bank is more concerned with data intergrity than ease of use.
11) Any application that is a *heads down* data entry should optimize speed of entry with data intergrity. Some of these apps should be implimented with dual entry and cross checking prior to updating the database so they can be more lacks in the controls department.

Well that was more like 10 cents.
Thanks for listening
Robert