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In the settings dialog of our Windows desktop application, the user can type or select a certain (template) file.
If nothing is specified, the application falls back to the default. This is indicated with a watermark.

What would be good/standard UI element that enables the user - once he has entered/selected a filename - to revert his choice and let the application again choose the default?

My current implementation looks like this: as soon as the user has selected/entered a filename, a "hyperlink" appears below the editbox.
But I'm not sure if this fits.

I didn't want to use the word "undo": I'm not keeping a history of previously entered filenames.

My current idea

2 Answers 2

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You might be overthinking this "problem". The functionality is simple and everything is accessible with as few clicks as possible.

Only thing I would suggest is to alter the wording and say "Reset to Default" for lesser ambiguity.

If you want users then to be able to (re)select their previous templates easier, you should have the field to transform to a dropdown menu with the templates that have been loaded previously.

Alternatively you can have the Default template as a choice in this dropdown menu.

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Your UX is all about "change the template".

The required template may be (a) the default or (b) local file. In future say a selection from most recently used file list or a resource from a shared template library is useful.

You could display this domain model this flat in the UI much as you have. But if extra capability or clarity is needed, then could render this mental model as below:

mockup

download bmml source – Wireframes created with Balsamiq Mockups

The extra click in this UI is not significant if the UI is easier to understand and not visited very frequently by the user.

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