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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: mouse cursors and default menu selections
Message-ID: <5033@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-Feb-85 12:39:15 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5033
Posted: Fri Feb  8 12:39:15 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Feb-85 12:39:15 EST
References: <420@decwrl.UUCP>, <807@sjuvax.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 36

> ... I often get the impression that too little attention is given
> to the fact that the application user wants to use the program in the least
> brain straining fashion, and in most cases if that means an extra
> centimeter motion of a mouse, big deal.

Designing a user interface that works well for both novice and experienced
users isn't easy.  The problem with your observation is that any serious
user of a given application very quickly graduates out of the "novice"
category, for that application.  Making things simple for the novice must
not imply making things slow for the person who uses the application
every day and knows what he's doing.  Ease of use for the naive user is
important, but it's not the only issue.

Producing a user interface that meets this criterion is, uh, non-trivial.
(Not impossible, mind you, contrary to persistent folklore; just extremely
hard work.)  The nice thing about bitmap displays is that the richer methods
of interaction -- e.g., pop-up menus -- make this so much easier.  But a
bitmap display and a mouse are not a substitute for long, hard thought by
the user-interface designer.

Re-ordering menus definitely loses.  Not only does it have potential for
confusing the novice, but it'll mess up the experienced user quite
badly.  Experienced users "touch type" menus:  they know where the entry
they want is, and they go to it without actually re-reading the menu.
For the same reason, menu items that are inapplicable to the current
circumstances should be dimmed out rather than deleted entirely.

Whether the menu should pop up with the previous selection under the
cursor... I don't know.  I suspect it's too error-prone, and that the
experienced-user's "touch typing" will be fouled up by not having the
other menu items in a constant position relative to the initial cursor
position.  Perhaps what is wanted is a "same again" key-sequence so
that the experienced user can bypass the menu entirely.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry