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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Delete (Action Choice)

Reference

Description

The Delete choice includes the following:

Delete
An action choice that removes selected elements. The space they occupied is usually filled by the remaining elements in the scope of selection.

Delete to Trash
An action choice that removes selected elements (generally objects) and puts them into the trash. The space they occupied is usually filled by the remaining elements in the scope of selection.

When to Use

Recommended
Provide a Delete choice if elements can be removed. Depending on the type of data and view presentation, either compress or do not affect the window previously occupied by the deleted element or group of elements.

Guidelines

Required
If only objects are selected, the Delete choice should not be available in the Edit menu. Provide Delete to Trash in the Selected menu instead. If the selection scope includes only objects, then do not provide Delete in the Edit menu.

Recommended
If the elements selected represent links or references to objects and you want the user to be able to destroy the underlying object, do one of the following:

  1. Provide separate choices (for example, Delete or Delete to Trash).

  2. Make Delete to Trash a cascaded entry through which the user can specify whether to delete the links or references or the underlying objects.

    3. Required
    In an editable selection scope, any operation that deletes a region (not containing objects) has the following effect if something is currently selected in the scope:

    In normal mode
    Deletes the selection.

    In add mode
    If the cursor is not outside of the selection, deletes the selection.

    In add mode
    If the cursor is outside of the selection, deletes the specified region, possibly including part of the selection.

    Required
    In an editable selection scope, pressing Delete and Backspace have the following effects if the cursor is within text and the selection is not empty and contains no objects:

    In normal mode
    Deletes the selection.

    In add mode
    If the cursor is not outside of the selection, deletes the selection.

    In add mode
    If the cursor is outside of the selection, pressing Delete deletes the character following the cursor and pressing Backspace deletes the character preceding the cursor.

    Required
    When nothing is selected in an editable selection scope, and there is a character following the text cursor, pressing Delete deletes it.

    Required
    When nothing is selected in an editable selection scope, and there is a character preceding the text cursor, pressing Backspace deletes it.

    Essential Related Topics

    For more information, see the Clear (Choice) and Edit Menu reference pages.

    Supplemental Related Topics

    For more information, see the Menu Guidelines reference page.

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