Control methods
Caveats
Most if not all pages are just rough notes, and these pages as a whole are far from complete. More notes will be added in time, eventually, maybe.
If, from reading these notes, you conclude that I am off my rocker, you won’t be the first, and you may even be right.
No doubt there are a dozen and one reasons why none of this would ever work, but perhaps somewhere deep down there is a tiny fragment that could be used for something.
Graphical systems offer various control methods for invoking commands:
- Menu bars
- Toolbars
- Context menus
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Gestures
Firstly, all commands should be able to be issued by both the mouse and the keyboard. If you have a phone in one hand and the mouse in the other, the mouse can always be used. If you are typing, the keyboard can be used to avoid having to reach for the mouse. It should be possible to invoke any command single-handed using a single input device, for example by amputees. This requires that all commands be available without the use of modifier keys.
For the sake of non-technical users, users unfamiliar with the software and users with too many different programs to remember, it should be possible to use entirely explorable (discoverable) visual means to invoke any command. This raises important questions about the accessibility of menus within dialog boxes, as noted under menus. Apple’s facility to search for menu commands is a wise innovation as it is not only system-wide but, unlike Microsoft’s offerings in Office, teaches the user where to find the menu item so that the user need not continually rely on search.
Context menus, keyboard shortcuts and gestures are all useful for more experienced and more technical users but no software should ever rely on them for anything.