Definition[]
A menu is a list of commands presented to the user of a computer or communications system.
Overview[]
They may be thought of as shortcuts to frequently-used commands that avoid the user having to have a detailed knowledge or recall of syntax. A menu is used in contrast to a command-line interface where instructions to the computer are given in the form of commands (or verbs).
A user may choose items from a menu by a number of methods (called interfaces):
- depressing one or more keys on the keyboard or mouse.
- positioning a cursor or reverse video bar by using a keyboard or mouse
- using an electromechanical pointer, such as a light pen
- touching the display screen with a finger or stylus, and
- speaking into a voice-recognition system.
A computer using a graphical user interface presents menus with a combination of text and symbols to represent choices. By clicking on one of the symbols, the user is selecting the instruction that the symbol represents.
A context menu is a menu in which the choices presented to the user are automatically modified according to the current context in which the user is working.
A common use of menus is to provide convenient access to various operations such as saving or opening a file, quitting a program, or manipulating data. Most widget toolkits provide some form of pull-down or pop-up menu. Pull-down menus are the type commonly used in menu bars (usually near the top of a window or screen), which are most often used for performing actions, whereas pop-up (or "fly-out") menus are more likely to be used for setting a value, and might appear anywhere in a window.
See also[]
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