Common Menu Types

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 supercede 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.