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Subject:Re: Dropdown menu on a button? From:Ben Kovitz <apteryx -at- CHISP -dot- NET> Date:Mon, 21 Jun 1999 13:24:56 -0600
John Posada asked:
> My contention is that the menu bar should generate a
> dropdown list of commands, but a button should only
> invoke a single function, (such as Bold) or a single
> routine, (such as a print routine or a save routine).
> My response from the manager was:
>
> "Having drop-down functions on buttons is something
> that is widely used in software."
>
> I cannot ever recall having seen this. Does anyone
> have any applications that have dropdown list of
> functions assigned to a button icon similar to the way
> a menu name uses a dropdown list?
Yes, look at the Back and Forward buttons in Netscape Navigator.
The convention is that a button that generates a drop-down list has a
little downward-pointing triangular arrow symbol.
Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, and Visio also have these buttons.
See, for example, the border-editing button in Word. However, they
split the button into two parts: a main button that performs its
function without making a drop-down list, and a little vertical sliver
immediately to its right. The sliver contains the downward-pointing
triangle and makes the drop-down list. That's probably the official
Microsoft convention, but I think it's stupid, because the sliver is so
narrow that it's difficult to click. Visio was much easier to use when
the alignment and distribution buttons *always* made drop-down lists (IIRC).
Another aspect of the good convention is that you can click the
button and get its function without selecting from the drop-down list.
Selecting from the drop-down list changes the button's icon to reflect
your last selection, so it becomes the "fast" selection next time.
So, for example, selecting from the alignment drop-down list in Visio
would perform the type of alignment that you select (centering, right-
aligning, etc.). The icon for that kind of alignment then appears in
the button. You can then click that button again to perform the same
kind of alignment without selecting from the drop-down list.
The Back and Forward buttons in Netscape make you hold the button down
for a half second or so before the drop-downlist appears. I can't
remember if earlier versions of Visio had the delay.
Sorry, too lazy to go look this up in a book for extra credit...
