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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference
Help (Menu/Action Choice)
Reference
Description
Help is information provided to the user about the application. It uses the
following choices:
HelpA cascading choice that appears as a menu-bar item. It provides access to
other menu items that provide various kinds of information related to the use
of the application.
IndexAn action choice that presents an alphabetic listing of help topics for an
application.
KeyboardAn action choice that presents information about the application's
use of keys, including function keys, shortcut keys, and mnemonics.
MouseAn action choice that presents information about the application's
use of the mouse.
On ItemAn action choice that allows the user to indicate the element for which
help is desired.
OverviewAn action choice that provides a brief overview of each action and task
that a user can perform within a window.
ReferenceAn action choice that provides access to reference pages for the
application.
Table of ContentsAn action choice that displays a table of contents of the help information
available.
TasksAn action choice that enables a user to determine how to perform specific
tasks.
TutorialAn action choice that gives a user access to online educational
information.
Using HelpAn action choice that gives a user information about how the help system
works.
AboutAn action choice that displays a secondary window that contains
information about an application, such as its copyright notice, logo, and
version.
When to Use
RequiredProvide a Help menu-bar item in the menu bar of all windows that have a
menu bar and provide help information.
RecommendedPlace a Help push button in a window that does not have a menu bar.
Guidelines
RequiredIn conjunction with the Menu Guidelines reference page, use Table 15 to decide which choices to include in the Help menu and how to organize
them.
Table 15. Help Menu Choices
|
Mnemonic |
Menu Choice |
Keyboard Function |
|---|
| Recommended |
O |
Overview |
|
| Optional |
I |
Index |
|
| Recommended |
C |
Table of Contents |
|
| Recommended |
T |
Tasks |
|
| Recommended |
R |
Reference |
|
| Optional |
L |
Tutorial |
|
| Optional |
K |
Keyboard |
|
| Optional |
M |
Mouse |
|
|
|
|
|
| Recommended |
O |
On Item |
ShiftF1 or ShiftHelp |
|
|
|
|
| Required |
U |
Using Help |
|
|
|
|
|
| Required |
A |
About application-name |
|
RequiredDo not display the shortcut key for On Item (for example, Shift F1 or
Shift Help) in the menu entry if it would significantly increase the width of
the Help menu.
RecommendedProvide help in the form most appropriate and useful to a user. For
example, use text, graphics, animation, or any other technique or combination
of techniques that conveys the information clearly and concisely.
RecommendedWhen possible, place a help window so that it does not cover the element
for which help was requested.
RecommendedDisplay help information in a separate primary window.
RecommendedIf the help system provides access to information that spans multiple
applications, then use a separate help application to display the help
information. If necessary, have a request for help start the application.
OptionalIf help for both mouse and keyboard is provided, use one searchable entry
for Mouse and Keyboard (M for example) instead of separate entries for each.
RecommendedDo not include the words "Help for" in index entries. For example,
do not label an entry Help for Cut.
RecommendedIn keyboard help information, display all key assignments for the window
or component from which the user requested help.
RecommendedIn keyboard help information, indicate to a user which keys are available
in the current state of the window.
RecommendedList shortcut key assignments in keyboard help information.
RecommendedIf a user adds or changes key assignments, display the new or changed
assignments in keyboard help information, along with any unchanged
assignments.
RequiredWhen the user chooses On Item, initiate context-sensitive help mode by
changing the shape of the pointer to the question mark pointer. When the user
moves the pointer to the element for which help is needed and clicks the
SELECT button, exit from the mode and present any context-sensitive help
available for the element. When the user presses Cancel or Escape, exit from
the mode without presenting help.
RecommendedWhile in context-sensitive help mode, when the user clicks the MENU button
while the pointer is on a cascading menu choice or at a position where a
pop-up menu is defined, display the menu, allowing the user to obtain
context-sensitive help for the menu entries. Remove the menus when the mode is
exited.
RecommendedAbout should display a window that indicates minimally the name and
version of your application. Display the icon or some other signature graphic
for your application.
Supplemental Related Topics
For more information, see the Menu Guidelines reference page.
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