GUI Tools Menus, Dialog Boxes, Toolbars The Meaning of

							    GUI Tools: Menus,
    Dialog Boxes, & Toolbars                        The Meaning of Menus
     u The Meaning of Menus                          u Command  Line Interface: enter
     u Menu  Forms                                     memorized command
     u Dialog Boxes & Their Etiquette                u Hierarchical Menu: walkthrough of
     u Toolbars                                        selection screens
                                                     u Monocline    Grouping: single nesting
     u Canusers discover these devices or              level
       must they be taught?
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    The Meaning of Menus                            Menu Forms
     u Popups  & Dialog Boxes: monocline             u Standard    Menus: safe harbors
       groups “painted” over a parent                u “Correct” Menus: based on a
       window                                          coherent organizing rationale
     u Which    do users prefer initially and        u Optional   Menus: separate on goal
       later?                                          support



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    Menu Forms                                      Menu Item Variant
     u Menu     Item Variants: more.....             u Disabling  Function: reject command
     u System  Menu: typically a single              u Cascading Menus: pop-up, pop-ups
       entry point                                   u Flip-flop Function: on-off command

                                                     u Iconic Menu Elements: pedagogic
     u How   much do users absolutely have
       to learn?                                       vector



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Cooper19-23.ppt                                                                                1
     Menu Item Variant                              Dialog Boxes
       u “Bang”  Items: immediate execution          u Dialog Box Basics: buttons, combo-
       u Accelerators: keystroke parallel              boxes, gizmos, caption bar,
                                                       terminating command
       u Mnemonics: key- or meta-stroke
                                                     u Modal    Boxes: stops proceedings
         variation
                                                       until it is closed
                                                     u Modeless  Boxes: program continues
                                                       without interruption
                                                     u How  are boxes different from
7                                              8       wizards?




                                                    Typical Dialog Box
     Specialized Dialog Boxes                       Problems & Solutions
       u Property:  sets selected objects            u Inconsistent  Modeless Dialogs
         characteristics                               u Visual differentiation
       u Function: called by user to control           u Behavioral differentiation (floating
         single functions (like printing)                toolbars)
       u Bulletin: issued by program usually           u Obvious terminating commands
         as error message                              u Consistent terminology
       u Process: issued by program to
         account for its action or non-
9        responsive behavior                   10




                                                    Dialog Box Etiquette:
     Dialog Box Etiquette                           Dialog Structure
     u Controlling   agent                           u Tabbed:  overlapping panes and
     u Caption bar                                     protruding, identifying tabs
     u Transient posture                             u Expanding:   unfold to expose more
     u Terminating commands                            controls
     u Keyboard shortcuts                            u Cascading:  buttons summon
     u Dialog structure                                additional dialog boxes
     u Ifall this works, is coaching
11     necessary?                              12




Cooper19-23.ppt                                                                                 2
     Dialog Box Etiquette:
     Dialog Structure                               Toolbars
      u Directed: changes based on user              u Visible& Immediate: pictographs are
        input (configuration dialogs)                 easier to “read” than text
      u How   much can users handle?                 u Buttcons: iconic representations of
                                                      possibility and states
                                                     u Morphing:   variable spatial toolbar
                                                      placement


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     More Toolbars
     uToolTips: “flyover” teaching technique
     uRole in Pedagogical Vector: frees the
      menu to act as a teaching device
      (repetition)

     uDo wizards explain the path of
      navigation among buttcons, menus,
      and dialog boxes?
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Cooper19-23.ppt                                                                               3