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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Internal Navigation

Reference

Description

Internal navigation is the use of the directional keys (and related keys) for internal purposes within a control -- primarily to move the active cursor within the control, but also for other purposes such as changing a value displayed or represented by a control.

Figure 37. Internal Navigation Within a List Box.




View figure.

When to Use

Recommended
Use internal navigation when the active cursor needs to be moved within the control.

Recommended
Use internal navigation when manipulating elements within a control.

Guidelines

Required
If a control uses internal navigation to move an element cursor among elements within a control, follow all the rules for control navigation, proceeding as if the elements in the control were controls within a tab group.

Required
Allow the directional keys to move a graphics cursor one unit in the indicated direction, where a unit is generally a pixel.

Required
Allow the directional keys augmented by Ctrl to move a graphics cursor multiple units in the indicated direction.

Required
Allow Home (or Begin) and End to move a graphics cursor to the leftmost and rightmost ends, respectively, of the data being viewed in the control. For information on bidirectional and vertical language support, see Chapter 11.

Required
Allow Ctrl Home (or Ctrl Begin) and Ctrl End to do one of the following:

  1. Move the graphics cursor to the topmost and bottommost ends, respectively, of the data being viewed (recommended).

  2. Move the graphics cursor to the top leftmost and bottom rightmost ends, respectively, of the data being viewed. For information on bidirectional and vertical language support, see Chapter 11.

    3. Required
    Do not allow a graphics cursor to wrap from one edge to the opposite edge.

    Required
    When the purpose of a control is to allow a positional indicator to be set to a value (for example, an arm in a slider), then when the control has focus, allow directional keys to move the positional indicator one unit (not necessarily one pixel) in the corresponding direction.

    Required
    When the purpose of a control is to allow a positional indicator to be set to a value, allow directional keys augmented by Ctrl to move the positional indicator multiple units in the indicated direction.

    Recommended
    If a control with a positional indicator has major and minor tick marks, and if minor tick marks indicate each single unit, then allow directional keys augmented by Ctrl to move to major tick marks.

    Required
    If a control with a positional indicator has only one degree of freedom, then do one of the following:

    1. Make both vertical and horizontal navigation have the same effect.

    2. Support either vertical or horizontal navigation.

      3. Required
      If a control with a positional indicator has only one degree of freedom, then allow Home (or Begin) to move the positional indicator to its initial position, and End to move it to its final position.

      Required
      If vertical and horizontal navigation have different effects on a positional indicator, then allow Home (or Begin) to move the indicator as far as it can go toward the initial or final horizontal positions. Allow Ctrl Home (or Ctrl Begin) and Ctrl End to move the indicator as far as it can go towards the initial or final vertical position.

      Required
      If you use horizontal or vertical navigation to switch to a value from among a linear sequence of values, then make Home (or Begin) switch to the first such value, and End switch to the last such value.

      Recommended
      If the user can use a control to set a value from among a linear sequence of values, then when the control has focus, allow horizontal navigation, vertical navigation, or both, to switch from one value to another.

      Recommended
      If additional internal navigation techniques are required, extend the navigation model as needed, but do not deviate from it unnecessarily. Some situations that may require additional navigation techniques are:

      1. Controls in which the elements are densely packed or are organized into layers

      2. Controls that use three-dimensional navigation

      3. Controls that organize elements hierarchically

        4. Essential Related Topics

        For more information, see the Control Navigation, Cursor, Mnemonic, and Tab Group reference pages.

        Supplemental Related Topics

        For more information, see the Control, Keyboard (Device), Push Button (Predefined), Scroll Bar (Control), and Window Navigation reference pages.

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