Which input layout for choosing between Option1, Option2 and (Option1 or Option2, dynamically)

Question

One setting in our app has to be as follows:

For a certain scenario, the user select whether he wants:

• Always use option X
• Or always use option Y
• Or, depending on a dynamic flag, use X or Y (he also need to select the dynamic flag in this case)

We're roughly thinking of the following:

 |-- Action on Event-XY ------
 |
 |  (o) Generate Warning
 |  ( ) Generate Error
 |  ( ) Error, if variable > 0, else Warning: [Combobox to choose variable flag]
 |
 |-----------------------------

What I'm trying to come up with is an elegant solution to the third radio button. (I'm not set on radio buttons, it just seemed to make the most sense.)

As you can see, the user can choose from a set of "variables" and that flag-var is then used as a bool to decide dynamically if the Event raises an Error or a Warning.

There are two problems here:

• The combobox that is part of the line for the radio button seems a bit odd
• The text to explain what can be chosen in the combobox is far too long and too complicated.

Any ideas how to map the functionality to the GUI more elegantly?

Answer 1

I'd move the combo into the middle of the last option so it flows more naturally:

 |-- Action on Event-XY ------
 |
 |  (o) Generate Warning
 |  ( ) Generate Error
 |  ( ) Generate Error if [Combo] > 0, otherwise generate warning
 |
 |-----------------------------

Aside from that radio buttons seem like a good choice.

Answer 2

I think the bigger problem here lies in explaining the options to your customers.

Why not handle it the way most synchronisation application do. With "always x", "always y", and "ask me" options. Here "ask me" means that every time this happens they are prompted with whether they want to perform x or y.

It will be a lot simpler to explain and a lot easier for your customers to use.