Search filtering (all vs. selected areas)

This is the part of our advanced search screen for searching the documents:

It works like this:

• if the "Search in documents containing any language" is selected and users clicks on a check-box then the "Search in documents containing these languages" is automatically checked.


• if any of the check-boxes are checked and the user clicks "Search in documents containing any language" then all the check-boxes are automatically unchecked.

There is another case: if the "Search in documents containing these languages" is checked and all of the check-boxes are unchecked the search returns documents contaning any language. This can be a little confusing (what happens if none of the checkboxes are checked), so I am asking you what is your opinion. Is it confusing?

After thinking I am not sure if the radio buttons are necessery. This is redisigned screen (google alike):

What do you think? Is this more clean and clear? But also this screen doesn't solve the dilemma what happens when none of the checkboxes are checked. Should I add a note after the checkboxes "Note: if no languages are checked the search results will return documents containing any language" or something like this...

Should we use tri-state checkboxes (gray for initial state and when all of the checkboxes are unchecked)? I am not sure if adding additional state will help...

Answer

I think that second idea is more clean and probably easier to grasp, given all possible the behaviors you listed.

One thought for improvement though: what if instead of having a "Select all" checkbox outside the language selection area, you use "any language" (AL) as a checkbox right at the start or end of the list (maybe set apart visually to show it's different)?

• AL would be grayed out and automatically checked if all or no other checkboxes are checked.


• AL would be clickable and unchecked in all other cases.


• Checking AL would check all other boxes (and gray out AL)