Menus
Menus are used either to invoke an action from a fixed list of choices or to set an option within an application.
The Amiga's menu system is a very appealing part of the user interface for a number of reasons:
- Even novice users can quickly understand how a menu works.
- Menus allow the user to browse through the set of possible actions that can be performed. This gives an outline-like overview of what functions are offered by a program.
- They give the user familiar landmarks that can always be brought into view by pressing the menu button.
- The menu system keeps the Amiga's GUI from being too cluttered since menus stay neatly tucked away until the user wants to see them.
Menu Anatomy
The menu system consists of the menu bar which shows the name of each menu, a drop-down menu under each name showing the list of choices (also known as menu items), and an optional group of secondary choices called a submenu, which are attached to a menu item. Submenus should appear to the right of the menu.
Fig. 6.1: Elements of the menu system.