Form Save UX

When should our Save buttons enable/disable?

The form logic has access to:

• Is the form dirty?
• Is the form valid?
  • Are there "hidden errors" (i.e. Last Name is required, but the user hasn't touched the Last Name field yet)
  • Are there "visible errors" (i.e. First Name is required, and we're showing the Required error message)
• Is the entity new?
  • Or being duplicated

• a) Enable whenever dirty (or new), even if invalid (current behavior)
  • Pro: Only enables when changes to save
  • Pro: Allows the user to hit submit early & show the invisible errors
  • Con: Shows enabled even when they are visible & invisible validation errors
• b) Enable when valid
  • Pro: Simple, what many BP forms due today (copy/pasted)
  • Con: Shows enabled when there are no changes (clicking save won't do anything)
  • Con: Because we only show errors on touched fields, the user might see "Save is disabled" even when there are no red errors on the screen (although they would probably see * for required fields)
• c) Enable whenever valid && dirty
  • Con: Stays disabled when there is a "hidden error", potentially confusing the user about "why is this save disabled"

1. A new form (creating author), that is totally empty

• Currently we do not show validation errors until fields are touched, so likely invalid but no errors showing
• If we show "Submit" enabled, clicking Submit "touches" all the fields, and you see the errors

2. An edit form (editing author) with no changes

• Initially dirty=false & valid=true -> Save is disabled

3. A duplicate from (creating new author from existing)

• dirty=false (technically user hasn't changed anything)
• valid=true