Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rti-sel.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxb!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!mcnc!rti-sel!rcb From: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP (Random) Newsgroups: net.cog-eng Subject: Re: default menu item selection Message-ID: <88@rti-sel.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Feb-85 12:59:14 EST Article-I.D.: rti-sel.88 Posted: Wed Feb 6 12:59:14 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Feb-85 08:21:37 EST References: <722@ihuxa.UUCP> <778@sdcsla.UUCP> Reply-To: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP (Random) Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC Lines: 20 Summary: In article <778@sdcsla.UUCP> norman@sdcsla.UUCP (Donald A. Norman) writes: >In article <722@ihuxa.UUCP> steffen@ihuxa.UUCP (Joe Steffen) writes: >>When you press a mouse button to pop-up a menu, should the top item be the >>default selection, or the last item you selected on the menu? The latter >>has the advantage that clicking the menu button repeats the last operation, > >An important principle, but one little remarked upon, is that of spatial >consistency. Spatial information is a very important and powerful cue for >remembering things. It is important not to violate this principle. A >pop-up menu that reogranizes itself with each usage violates this principle. >(I am almost tempted to say that it violates human decency, but that, of >course, would be flaming.) How about this. the menu has all the selections normally plus a blank entry at the top (where the mouse initially points). Then after each usage, the last used entry is duplicated in the default slot. Random Research Triangle Institute ...!mcnc!rti-sel!rcb