Required 

6-1: 

Your application should be composed of at least one main window. 

A main window contains a client area and, optionally, a menu bar, a command area, a message area, and scroll bars. The client area contains the framework of the application. The use of a main window ensures interapplication consistency. 

Required 

bd: 

The default size of the application's main window must be large enough to accommodate a typical amount of data, but should not fill the entire physical display size to minimize visual conflicts with other applications. 

Required 

6-2: 

If your application has multiple main windows that serve the same primary function, each window closes and iconifies separately. 

For example, a text editor might allow the user to edit multiple documents, each in its own main window. Each window is then treated as a separate application and can be closed or iconified when it is not being used. 

Required 

6-3: 

If your application has multiple main windows that serve different primary functions, each window should be able to iconify independently of the other windows. 

For instance, a debugger might provide separate main windows for editing source code, examining data values, and viewing results. Each window can be iconified when it is not being used, but it is up to the application to decide whether each window closes separately or whether closing one window closes the entire application. 

Required 

be: 

Resize corners should be included in any main window that incorporates a scrolling data pane or list. 

Any changes to the overall size of the window should result in a corresponding increase or decrease in the size of the scrollable portion. Additionally, your application might reorganize elements within the window based on the increased or decreased amount of space (for example, it might reorganize a row of buttons into two rows). 

Required 

6-4: 

If your application has a menu bar, it is a horizontal bar at the top edge of the application, just below the title area of the window frame. A menu bar organizes the most common features of an application. It contains a list of menu topics in cascading buttons; each button is associated with a distinct pull-down menu containing commands that are grouped by common functionality. The use of a menu bar yields consistency across applications. 

A menu bar organizes the most common features of an application. It contains a list of menu topics in buttons; each button is associated with a distinct pull-down menu containing commands that are grouped by common functionality. The use of a menu bar is not required, but it is strongly recommended. 

Required 

6-5: 

The menu bar for your application contains only cascading buttons. 

The use of other types of buttons in the bar precludes user browsing of the menu structure. 

Recommended 

bn: 

There are several common menu operations that should be considered "standard". The standard menu bar entries are File, Edit, View, Options and Help. If your application provides that functionality to the user, it should be included in the menu bar under the appropriate name. The contents of these menu entries are discussed below in more detail. 

Standard menu bar entries should be presented in the following order: 

File Edit View Options Help 

You should exclude from your menu bar any item shown in the preceding text if your application does not support the associated function. For example, if your application does not support the ability to display its data in different views, then you should not include a View menu. 

You may add application-specific menus in between any of the standard menu items, with the following exceptions: 

• The File menu, if present, is located in the first menu position on the left.

• The Help menu is located on the far right position.

• If File and Edit are present, they should be next to each other.

For example, your application may have: 

File Edit <category1> <category2> View Options <category3> Help 

Recommended 

bo: 

Applications that are not file-oriented in nature (or that manage files transparently, not exposing this activity to the user) should replace the File menu with one or more application-specific menus. 

Possible replacements for the File menu: 

Replacement1: <app-label> Selected  

Replacement2: <app-label><obj-type>  

Replacement3: <obj-type> 

You may use Replacement1 if your application has more than one object type. Items on <app-label> would be used for global actions that are not specific to an object type. The items in Selected are actions that pertain to objects that are currently selected, and may change depending on what objects are selected. If nothing is selected, this menu should have a single item that says (none selected). If an item is selected, but there are no items that apply to that object, this menu should have a single item that says (none). 

You may use Replacement2 if your application has a single object type. Actions that are global to the application are on <app-label>, and actions that are specific to the object type are on <obj-type>. 

You may use Replacement3 if your application has a single object type, and does not require an <app-label> menu. For example, a Print Manager might contain a Printer menu. 

All other menubar guidelines that apply to File-oriented applications also apply to non-File-oriented applications. Thus, the following menubar would be valid: 

<app-label> Selected Edit <category1> View <category2> Help 

Applications that are complex or are extremely domain-specific (for example, an application for medical imaging and diagnosis of cat scan data) may require other approaches to their menu bar design. For example, 

<app-label><category1><category2> Selected Edit <object-type> Options Help 

Recommended 

bp: 

Exit or Close should be located on the first (leftmost) menu of your menubar. 

Required 

6-7: 

If your application uses a File menu, it contains the following choices, with the specified functionality, when the actions are actually supported by your application. 

Items should be presented to the user in the order listed below. In all cases where a dialog is recommended to be displayed to the user, and the dialog has functionality outlined in Chapter 7, "Common Dialogs", your application should use a dialog box. 

• New [REQUIRED]

  Creates a new file. If the current client area will be used to display the new file, your application clears the existing data from the client area. If changes made to the current file will be lost, your application displays a dialog, asking the user about saving changes. The mnemonic is N.

• Open... [REQUIRED]

  Opens an existing file by prompting the user for a file name with a dialog box. If changes made to the current file will be lost, your application displays a dialog asking the user about saving changes. The mnemonic is O.

• Save [REQUIRED]

  Saves the currently opened file without removing the existing contents of the client area. If the file has no name, your application displays a dialog prompting the user to enter a file name. The mnemonic is S.

• Save As... [REQUIRED]

  Saves the currently opened file under a new name by prompting the user for a file name with a dialog box. If the user tries to save the file using an existing name, your application displays a dialog that warns the user about a possible loss of data. Does not remove the existing contents of the client area. The mnemonic is A.

• Print [RECOMMENDED]

  Schedules a file for printing. If your application needs specific information in order to print, it displays a dialog, requesting the information from the user. In this case, the menu entry is followed by an ellipsis (Print...). The mnemonic is P.

• Close [RECOMMENDED]

  Closes the current primary window and its associated secondary windows. This action does not terminate the application - Exit should be used for that purpose. If changes made to the current primary window will be lost, your application displays a dialog, asking the user about saving those changes. If your application uses only a single primary window or multiple dependent primary windows, this action is not supplied. The mnemonic is C.

• Exit [REQUIRED]

  Ends the current application and all windows associated with it. If changes made to the current file will be lost, your application displays a dialog, asking the user about saving changes. The mnemonic is x.

Required 

bq: 

If the user chooses Exit, or in any other manner indicates that the application should be terminated, but there are changes to the current file that have not been saved, your application displays a dialog box asking whether the changes should be saved before exiting. 

The user must always be given the opportunity to explicitly state whether unsaved changes should be saved or discarded. A dialog box similar to the one described should also be displayed if the user chooses Open from the File menu, but has not saved changes to the current file. 

Recommended 

br: 

If your application uses an <object-type> menu or a Selected menu, it contains the following choices, with the specified functionality, when the actions are actually supported by your application. Items should be presented to the user in the order listed below. 

• New... [RECOMMENDED]

  Creates a new instance of the object-type. A dialog box is presented allowing the user to specify the values for settings associated with that object. The mnemonic is N.

• Move To... [OPTIONAL]

  Allows the user to move the selected objects into a folder. A file selection dialog box is displayed allowing the user to select the desired folder. The mnemonic is M.

• Copy To... [OPTIONAL]

  Allows the user to copy the selected objects into a folder. A file selection dialog box is displayed allowing the user to select the desired folder. The mnemonic is C.

• Put in Workspace [OPTIONAL]

  Allows the user to put a link for the object onto the Common Desktop Environment desktop in the current workspace. The mnemonic is t.

Any of the preceding three menu choices should be provided only if the objects managed by your application are able to reside as separate entities outside of your application's main window. For example, a printer object created by a printer management application might be able to be placed in a Folder window and function as an application unto itself. Your application should also support drag and drop as a method for performing any of these actions. 

• Delete [OPTIONAL]

  Removes the selected objects. A confirmation dialog box should be presented to the user before the object is actually deleted. The mnemonic is D.

• Properties [RECOMMENDED]

  Displays a Properties window that shows the current values for settings associated with the selected object. The mnemonic is P.

• <Default Action> [RECOMMENDED]

  This choice should enact the default action for the selected object. "Open" is a typical default.

Required 

6-8: 

If your application uses an Edit menu, it contains the following choices, with the specified functionality, when the actions are actually supported by your application: 

• Undo [RECOMMENDED]

  Reverses the most recently executed action. The mnemonic is U.

• Cut [RECOMMENDED]

  Removes the selected portion of data from the client area and puts it on the clipboard. The mnemonic is t.

• Copy [RECOMMENDED]

  Copies the selected portion of data from the client area and puts it on the clipboard. The mnemonic is C.

• Copy Link [OPTIONAL]

  Copies a link of the selected portion of data from the client area and puts it on the clipboard. The mnemonic is K.

• Paste [RECOMMENDED]

  Pastes the contents of the clipboard into the client area. The mnemonic is P.

• Paste Link [OPTIONAL] Pastes a link of the data represented by the contents of the clipboard into the client area. The mnemonic is L.

• Clear [RECOMMENDED]

  Removes a selected portion of data from the client area without copying it to the clipboard. The remaining data is not rearranged to fill in the gap left by the Clear operation. The mnemonic is E.

• Delete [RECOMMENDED]

  Removes a selected portion of data from the client area without copying it to the clipboard. The mnemonic is D.

• Select All [RECOMMENDED]

  Sets the primary selection to be all the selectable elements in the client area. The mnemonic is S.

• Deselect All [RECOMMENDED]

  Removes from the primary selection all the selectable elements in the client area. The mnemonic is l.

• Select Pasted [OPTIONAL]

  Sets the primary selection to the last element or elements pasted into a component of the client area. The mnemonic is a.

• Reselect [OPTIONAL]

  Sets the primary selection to the last selected element or elements in a component of the client area. This action is available only in components that do not support persistent selections and only when the current selection is empty. The mnemonic is R.

• Promote [OPTIONAL]

  Promotes to the primary selection the current selection of a component of the client area. This action is available only for components that support persistent selections. The mnemonic is m.

Recommended 

bs: 

If your application does not provide an <object-type> or Selected menu, but allows the user to select data within the window and manage settings for the selected data, then it provides a Properties ... choice as the last item in the Edit menu. 

Recommended 

bt: 

If your application provides a View menu, it only contains functions that affect the way the current data is presented. It does not contain any option that alters the data itself. 

Recommended 

bu: 

If your application has global settings that control the way the application behaves, it provides an Options menu from which these can be set. 

Recommended 

bv: 

If your application includes a Help menu, it contains the following set of choices, with the specified functionality, when the actions are actually supported by your application. The Help choices included here supersede those listed for Motif 1.2. 

This is the Common Desktop Environment-recommended Help menu and should be used instead of the Motif 1.2 Help menu. Items should be presented to the user in the order listed. 

• Overview [REQUIRED]

  Provides general information about the window from which help was accessed or about the application overall. The mnemonic is v. Place a separator after.

• Index [OPTIONAL]

  Provides an index listing topics for all help information available for your application. The mnemonic is I.

• Table of Contents [RECOMMENDED]

  Provides a table of contents listing topics for all help information available for your application. The mnemonic is C.

• Tasks [RECOMMENDED]

  Provides access to help information indicating how to perform different tasks using your application. The mnemonic is T.

• Reference [RECOMMENDED]

  Provides access to reference information. The mnemonic is R.

• Tutorial [OPTIONAL]

  Provides access to your application's tutorial. The mnemonic is l.

• Keyboard [OPTIONAL]

  Provides information about your application's use of function keys, mnemonics, and keyboard accelerators. Also provides information on general Common Desktop Environment use of such keys. The mnemonic is K.

• Mouse [OPTIONAL]

  Provides information about using a mouse with your application. The mnemonic is M.

• Mouse and Keyboard [OPTIONAL]

  Provides information about your application's use of function keys, mnemonics, keyboard accelerators and mouse operations. Also provides information on general Common Desktop Environment use of such keys. The mnemonic is M.

• On Item [OPTIONAL]

  Initiates context-sensitive help by changing the shape of the pointer to the question mark pointer. When the user moves the pointer to a component and presses BSelect, any available context-sensitive help for the component is presented. The mnemonic is O.

• Using Help [REQUIRED]

  Provides information on how to use the Common Desktop Environment Help Facility. The mnemonic is U.

• About applicationname [REQUIRED]

  Displays a dialog box indicating, minimally, the name and version of your application, and displaying its icon or some other signature graphic for your application. The mnemonic is A.

The Overview, Using Help and About items are required. The Table of Contents, Tasks and Reference items are recommended. You can choose to have separate Mouse and Keyboard topics, or have a single combined Mouse and Keyboard topic. You should not use all three items. 

Recommended 

by: 

Your application should provide a pop-up menu for any element that is selectable within its data pane. 

Recommended 

bx: 

If your application provides functions that apply to a data pane and not any specific element therein, then a pop-up menu is provided that contains the frequently used data pane functions and is accessible by pressing BMenu when the mouse pointer is over the background of the pane or a nonselectable element within the pane. 

Recommended 

cb: 

The functions accessible from within your application's pop-up menus are also accessible from buttons displayed within the window or menus accessed through the menu bar. 

Recommended 

ca: 

Every pop-up menu in your application has a title that indicates the function the menu performs or the element on which it operates. 

Optional 

cd: 

Choices within your pop-up menus are organized in the following manner: 

<choices that manage the object such as Open, Save, and Properties> 

----------- separator ---------------- 

<standard edit menu choices such as Cut, Copy and Paste> 

----------- separator ---------------- 

<other choices> 

Optional 

6-11: 

If your application uses any of the common pop-up menu actions, the actions function according to the following specifications. See item for supplemental guidelines. 

• Properties

  Displays a properties dialog box that the user can use to set the properties of the component.

• Undo

  Reverses the last executed action.

• Primary Move

  Moves the contents of the primary selection to the component. This action is available only in editable components.

• Primary Copy

  Copies the contents of the primary selection to the component. This action is available only in editable components.

• Primary Link

  Places a link to the primary selection in the component. This action is available only in editable components.

• Cut

  Cuts elements to the clipboard. If the menu is popped up in a selection, cuts the entire selection to the clipboard.

• Copy

  Copies elements to the clipboard. If the menu is popped up in a selection, copies the entire selection to the clipboard.

• Copy Link

  Copies a link of elements to the clipboard. If the menu is popped up in a selection, copies a link to the entire selection to the clipboard.

• Paste

  Pastes the contents of the clipboard to the component. This action is available only in editable components.

• Paste Link

  Pastes a link of the contents of the clipboard to the component. This action is available only in editable components.

• Clear

  Removes a selected portion of data from the client area without copying it to the clipboard. If the menu is popped up in a selection, deletes the selection.

• Delete

  Removes a selected portion of data from the client area without copying it to the clipboard. If the menu is popped up in a selection, deletes the selection.

• Select All

  Sets the primary selection to be all of the elements in the collection with the pop-up menu.

• Deselect All

  Deselects the current selection in the collection with the pop-up menu.

• Select Pasted

  Sets the primary selection to be the last element or elements pasted into the collection with the pop-up menu.

• Reselect

  Sets the primary selection to be the last selected element or elements in the component with the pop-up menu. This action is available only in components that do not support persistent selections and only when the current selection is empty.

• Promote

  Promotes the current selection to the primary selection. It is available only in components that support persistent selections.

Recommended 

cc: 

Pop-up menus for selectable objects contain the following set of choices, with the specified functionality, when the actions are actually supported by your application. These guidelines supplement item . 

• Move To...

  Allows the user to move the selected objects into a folder. A file selection dialog box is displayed allowing the user to select the desired folder.

• Copy To...

  Allows the user to copy the selected objects into a folder. A file selection dialog box is displayed allowing the user to select the desired folder.

• Put in Workspace

  Allows the user to put a link for the selected objects onto the Common Desktop Environment desktop in the current workspace.

• Delete

  Deletes the selected object. A confirmation is displayed to the user before actually removing the object.

• Help...

  Displays a help window pertaining to objects of the type selected.

Required 

6-12: 

When a pop-up menu is popped up in the context of a selection, any action that acts on elements acts on the entire selection. 

In the context of a selection, pop-up menu actions affect the entire selection. 

Recommended 

ce: 

If the selection of a menu item will result in the user being queried for more information, such as through the posting of a file selection dialog, the menu item should be followed by an ellipsis ("..."). This requirement does not apply to menu items that will result in a simple warning or confirmation dialog being displayed. 

The use of an ellipsis helps set the user's expectation for the behavior of the interface. When they select an item without an ellipsis, they know that they can expect an immediate result. 

Recommended 

cf: 

Menus accessed from within your application contain at least two menu items. 

No menu should contain only one item. If your application provides a menu with only one item, you should consider moving that item into another menu or making it a button within the window. The longer the menu, the more effort is needed for the user to access choices near the bottom. If your menu has a lot of choices, break it up into two or more menus, or group some items into submenus. 

Optional 

cg: 

Submenus accessed from within your application contain at least three menu items. 

Submenus may be used to group like items into a single secondary cascading menu where putting the items into the primary cascading menu would make it too long. However, if your submenu contains only two options, you should strongly look at removing the secondary cascading menu and putting the options into the primary cascading menu since it takes more effort for the user to access options located in a submenu. 

Optional 

ci: 

If your application contains a menu that is expected to be accessed frequently, then a tear-off menu option is provided in that menu. 

The user should be able to tear-off frequently accessed menus so that these can remain posted on the desktop as the user uses your application. 

Required 

6-14: 

If your application uses a tear-off button in a menu, the tear-off button is the first element in the menu. 

Optional 

cj: 

Provide keyboard accelerators where appropriate. 

If specific menu items within a menu are expected to be used frequently, not the menu as a whole, then your application provides keyboard accelerators for these items and displays the keyboard accelerators in the associated menu to the right of the item to which they relate. You should not use accelerators that have already been defined for system functions - refer to Appendix A, Keyboard Functions, for a list of pre-defined key assignments. 

Recommended 

ck: 

The labels used for items in the menu bar do not appear as options within the menus themselves. 

The names of items in the menu bar serve as titles for the options the menu contains. The name of the menu bar item should provide a term that accurately describes the concept of the category relating all of the menu items and should not be used as the name of any item within the menu itself. 

Required 

cl: 

Any menu choice that is not currently an appropriate selection is dimmed (insensitive). 

Dimmed controls cannot be activated by the user and should appear only when the inactive state is short-term (that is, there is something the user can do within the application or the desktop environment to make the control become active). When the control is persistently inactive (because of the current configuration of the application or system, or a particular set of companion software is not currently installed), the control should be removed from the menu rather than be dimmed. 

Required 

6-15: 

All menus are wide enough to accommodate their widest elements. 

Required 

fd: 

If you use a tool bar, it should be used only in windows with a menu bar. 

Required 

fe: 

Tool bars should contain only operations that are already available to the user in your application menus. All items in a tool bar should be redundant. 

Items in a toolbar are meant to provide quick access to operations that are already accessible to the user by other methods. 

Required 

ff: 

When an action represented by a tool bar icon is unavailable to the user, that icon should be made insensitive, with the associated stippled appearance. Whenever a menu item is made insensitive, the corresponding tool bar item must be made insensitive as well. 

Recommended 

fg: 

Give users the option to hide the tool bar. 

Required 

fh: 

The tool bar container is placed directly under the menu bar and should be the same width as the window, as well as similar height to the menu bar. 

Recommended 

fi: 

If you use a tool bar in your application, then you should provide a status line in the same primary window as the tool bar. 

This status line should provide immediate feedback to the user as to the purpose of the button that the mouse is currently over or that has the keyboard focus. When the arrow is over a tool bar icon, the status line should display a brief definition of what the icon represents or what will happen when the user clicks the icon. 

Recommended 

fj: 

You may provide labels under tool bar icons. These labels should serve to explain the purpose of the icon. 

Recommended 

fk: 

Drawn buttons in the tool bar should be the same width and height. Similar or related items should be grouped, and groups should be evenly spaced across the tool bar. 

Recommended 

fl: 

All pixmaps in the tool bar should be the same size. 

This ensures that all the buttons will be the same size. 

Recommended 

fm: 

The recommended size of the pixmap is 24x24. The default for the drawn button is to resize itself according to the size of its label type, which, in this case, would be a pixmap. 

Optional 

bf 

The title of your primary window (the main window your application displays to the user) should be the name of your application. 

Note that this does not have to be the actual name of the executable invoked by the user. 

Carefully consider how the title you choose for your primary window works when it is used in icons and pop-up windows. If the name of the pop-up window is too long, you may remove the application title, but remember that without the title users might have difficulty telling which pop-up windows belong with the originating primary window. 

Optional 

bg: 

Use initial capital letters for each word in the title (in languages that support capitalization). 

Optional 

bh: 

Follow the application name for each property window, as a minimum, with the title Properties and the name of the object it affects. 

Optional 

bi: 

Begin the title of each pop-up window with the application title followed by a colon, then the title of the pop-up window. The colon should have a space both before and after it for readibility. 

Pop-up windows should always indicate which primary window they are associated with (which primary window invoked that pop-up). 

Optional 

bj: 

Use a hyphen to denote the current file name, when the application has files that can be loaded or saved. The hyphen should have a space before and after it. Only the base name of the file should be displayed, not the entire path. 

The hyphen is used to denote specific instances of a window or data. The colon serves to delimit general categories or commands. For example, a file manager might have the following title for a Properties dialog box: 

File Manager : Properties - myfile 

Recommended 

bk: 

Follow the application name for each command window with the same title that is on the window button or window item users choose to display that window. 

Optional 

bl: 

In the case of multiple primary windows, include the application name at the beginning of each window title, and add a name that uniquely identifies that primary window. No separator should be provided for these names (for example, Calendar Manager Multibrowse, Catalog Search, Admintool Databases). 

Optional 

bm: 

An abbreviated name for the application may be used on other windows, so long as it is done on all windows. 

Recommended 

gt: 

If any command chosen by the user is expected to take longer than 2 seconds to complete, but less than 10 seconds, your application displays the standard busy pointer as feedback that the command is executing. 

The user must receive assurance that your application has "heard" the request and is working on it. If the results of the request cannot be displayed immediately, some feedback must be provided. The busy cursor should be displayed within 0.5 seconds of execution of the command. 

Recommended 

gu: 

If any command chosen by the user is expected to take longer than 10 seconds to complete, your application displays a working dialog box or other feedback of similar character that indicates that the application is working on the request. The feedback should reveal progress toward completion of the activity. 

If an activity is expected to take a significant amount of time (10 seconds or more), your application should display feedback stronger than the busy pointer. Displaying the busy pointer for long amounts of time may lead the user to conclude that the application has become hung. A progress indicator should be displayed in these scenarios that indicates that the application is still functioning and is working on the user's request. The progress indicator should show how much of the activity has been completed and what amount remains. 

Recommended 

gv: 

When your application displays work-in-progress feedback to the user, it does not block access to other applications and services within the desktop environment. 

Multitasking should always be supported and, as such, your application should allow the user to access other services while it is busy performing some activity. Preferably, the user is also able to access other features within your application even though it is currently working on another request. When this is supported, your application should display an enhanced busy pointer that indicates that the application is busy but still willing to accept input. 

Required 

ep: 

There is always exactly one control within any window of your application that has the input focus if the window in which it resides has the input focus. 

If any window within your application has focus, some control within that window must have focus. The user should not have to explicitly set focus to a control within the window. 

Optional 

eq: 

When a text field within your application does not have the input focus, the text cursor is not displayed within that field. 

Although use of inactive text cursors is allowed within the Motif style, it is better to hide the text cursor on focus out rather than display the inactive text cursor. This makes it easier for the user to quickly scan the screen or a window and determine which text field currently has focus. 

Optional 

er: 

Your application provides keyboard mnemonics for all buttons, menus, and menu items displayed within the application. 

Once the user becomes adept at using your application, keyboard mnemonics provide the user a quick way to access functionality. Mnemonics also facilitate access to functionality from within keyboard-centric applications or windows. The user need not frequently switch between use of the mouse or use of the keyboard. Mnemonics should be provided pervasively throughout the user interface. 

Optional 

es: 

Your application provides keyboard accelerators for those functions that are expected to be used frequently by the user. 

Keyboard accelerators provide the user who has become expert at using your application a quick way to access application functionality without having to go through menus and dialog boxes. 

Required 

ev: 

If your application does not use the values of global environment settings, such as multiclick timeout intervals, drag thresholds, window color settings, mouse left- or right-handedness, and so on, but instead uses its own values for these settings, then your application provides one or more Options dialog boxes that allow the user to change the values for these settings. 

In general, you should not override the value of settings treated as global environment settings. These settings are controlled by the user through the Common Desktop Environment Style Manager. If you choose to ignore these settings and specify your own settings, then your application will be have inconsistently with other applications in the Common Desktop Environment desktop. If you nevertheless choose to provide your own values, then you must provide the user a way to make your settings consistent with the rest of the desktop. 

Required 

em: 

Applications should be installed to folders in the Application Manager not directly to the Front Panel or subpanels. For consistency, only Common Desktop Environment desktop components will install to these locations. Users may choose to rearrange their Front Panel, but applications should not do this without user consent.