Using a Wizard for initial input and later edit
My Windows application uses Wizards for creating business objects like persons or real estates.
The Wizard is perfect, since it allows the input in the most logical order with the ability of displaying the data in clearly arranged groups of forms. It also allows processing and validiation steps in between the Wizard pages. Some input depends on other input, but that's not a problem, since the Wizard is sequential.
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Now here is the problem: my users need to be able to edit all the input afterwards. Example: Input C needs to be edited afterwards.
- I could send them through the Wizard again. But if they can't find what they are looking for on the first page of the Wizard, they will have to search for it, without knowing where it is or if it's even to be found in the Wizard.
- I could offer a separete edit dialog that is not a Wizard. Basically two dialogs that handle the same data, one for adding and one for editing. That means more effort and it might be inpterpreted as inconsistent.
- I could ditch the Wizard. Adding and input would be done with the same dialog.
I don't really want to give up the Wizard concept since it's comfortable for data input. Can you think of a solution that makes both adding and editing as comfortable as possible?