Using Interactive Controls

The following controls present and organize actions:

Push Button

A push button is a control that displays a label or graphic that represents an action. When the user activates a push button, that action executes immediately.

You should use a push button when you want an action to occur quickly and easily.

Examples of push buttons include:

Menu Cascade Button

A menu cascade button is a control that represents cascading choices from which the user can display a pull-down menu..
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For more information, see the Menu Cascade Button (Control) reference page.

Menu Bar

A menu bar appears across the top of a window, just below the title bar. It contains a horizontal list of cascading choices called menu-bar items. When the user chooses a menu-bar item, an associated pull-down menu appears.

The name of each menu-bar item indicates choices on the associated pull-down menu. For example, the associated pull-down menu for the Help menu-bar item could have the following choices:

Pull-Down Menu

A pull-down menu appears when a user chooses a menu-bar item, window menu button, or a menu cascade button..
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For more information, see the Cascading (Choice Type) and Pull-Down Menu (Menu Type) reference pages.

Cascaded Menu

A cascaded menu appears next to, and contains choices related to, a cascading choice in another menu. It is not visible until the user makes a cascading choice. A cascaded menu contains choices that modify or are related to the cascading choice.

Cascaded menus allow you to layer choices so that the user can have access to a wide range of functions without using long pull-down or pop-up menus..
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For more information, see the Cascading (Choice Type) reference page.

Pop-Up Menu

A pop-up menu provides choices specific to an element. A pop-up menu is not visible until the user invokes it. Only choices that are currently valid appear in a pop-up menu.

Pop-up menus provide the user with convenient access to menus. The user does not need to move the mouse pointer to the menu bar nor does the user see unavailable choices..
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For more information, see the Pop-Up Menu (Menu Type) reference page.

Tear-Off Menu

A tear-off menu is a copy of a pull-down, pop-up, or cascaded menu that the user has "torn off" and placed in a separate window. The tear-off menu always contains the same choices as the original menu, with the exception of the tear-off choice.

For example, the user can "tear off" a frequently used menu and position it in a convenient place on the screen..
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For more information, see the Tear-Off Menu (Menu Type) reference page.

Command Box

A command box allows the user to review previous commands and to either choose to reissue a previous command or to issue a new command..
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For more information, see the Command Box (Control) reference page.