RE: Menus (was RE: Shortcuts ??)

["Justin Ross" <opiskin hotmail com>]

>Format
>  \____ Paragraph
>               \__________Indent
>               \__________Line Spacing
>               \__________Etcetera
>
>I cannot select "Paragraph" halfway through.
>So it could be confusing to the user just when you can and can't 
>select cascades.
>Hence, the conditional cascade menu.

If the menus are to have both these behaviors, that is, if an item such 
as Paragraph above can have either a default sub-selection or can open 
a, for instance, Paragraph dialog--if it will be able to do one or the 
other, there should be some visual indicator for each kind of behavior.  
I thought of two possibilities.

(1) Set it up so that each menu item can have only one of these two 
behaviors.  If the item has a default sub-selection, italicize (or 
bolden, or something) the text of that selection in the subsequent menu 
(which, presumably, appears without having to hover over the little 
arrow).  If, OTOH, the item opens a dialog or folder view, append a 
"..." to the item's name when you hover over it (perhaps the "..." would 
always be apparent, only grayed-out when not under the pointer).

In the first case:
	Format
	   \___Layout <--(the pointer is over this item)
		  \___Indent
		  \___*Line Spacing* (evidently the default)
		  \___Etcetera

In the second:
	usr
	 \___X11R6 ... <--(pointer here, "..." has magically appeared
		\___bin 		or returned from graydom)
		\___lib
		\___include

(2) Make both options available to any menu item. As far as I can see, 
this would require two buttons, one for each of these dual-natured menu 
items.  The effect, I'm guessing, may be useful but clunky and 
unappealing, since the mouse action would no longer be simply sliding 
down to a menu item or sliding off its right side.  Rather, you would 
have to click teeny little buttons.  Bleh.

BTW, thanks for letting me in on that feature of the Mac's gui.  I had 
no idea.

Thanks,
Justin


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com