RE: Use of ellipsis ("...") in menu items

[Jörg Rathlev <joerg jrsoftware de>]

> > Unfortunately, most systems aren't really consistent in the use of the
> > ellipsis, often because they don't use verbs in menu items. For
> > example, should Options be "Options..." (i.e. change options) or
> > "Options" (i.e. show options)?
> 
> "Options ..." means, in English, "Options, and more in a moment".  This
> translation into menus means, to the user, something more will happen when
> I click this; it is not an end unto itself.

Well, "something more" should happen whenever a menu is clicked :-)

But yes, you're right, usually the user doesn't click Options just to
take a look at them, but to change something, so there should usually
be an ellipsis. The main thing I wanted to show here is the lack of
verbs, if there was a more "activity-based" item, there couldn't be
any confusion about whether the main action is to display or to modify
the options.

Then again, as Calum has pointed out, using "Change Options..." or
something similar might make the user fear that he *must* change
something, even if he just wants to have a look at the possible
settings.


Jörg