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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Combination Text-List Control (Control Type)

Reference

Description

A combination text-list control is a control that combines the functions of a single-line text field (either a text-display field or a text-entry field) and a list box. A combination text-list control may also contain a list cascade button that is used to display the list box if it is not displayed. This guide defines the following combination text-list controls: command box, combination box, drop-down combination box, drop-down list, and selection box.

When to Use

Recommended
Provide a combination text-list control when the user can either choose a predefined item from the items in the list box for placement into a text field or enter values into a text-entry field that are not in the list box.

Recommended
Provide a combination text-list control when the user might want to type values into the text-entry field and the list of items in the list box can provide contextual support or otherwise assist the user in completing the text-entry field.

Recommended
Provide a combination text-list control when the user wants to easily see the last value chosen from a list.

Guidelines

Required
Order the items in the list box in some application-defined way that is meaningful to the user, such as alphabetically, numerically, chronologically, or other such order.

Recommended
Initially display one of the text items of the list box in the text field if a meaningful, application-specific one can be selected. Otherwise display nothing.

Required
Use either a single or a browse selection model in the list box.

Required
Use the browse selection model in the list box if a text-entry field is used and the list box cannot take focus.

Required
Use the browse selection model in the list box if prefix completion is in use.

Required
Move input focus to the text field if the user presses the SELECT button on an item in the list box and the list box cannot take focus. The item indicated is selected as usual, however.

Required
If the user presses V when focus is in the text field and the list box is not displayed, do one of the following:

  1. Display the list.

  2. Navigate down the list, select the cursored list item, and display it in the text field without displaying the list.

    3. Required
    If the user presses keys used for vertical navigation or paging when focus is in the text field and the list is not displayed, do one of the following:

    1. If V would display the list, either display the list or do nothing.

    2. Navigate in the list as indicated, select the cursored list item, and display it in the text field without displaying the list.

      3. Required
      If the user presses a key used for vertical navigation or paging when focus is in the text field and the list box is displayed, navigate in the list as indicated, select the cursored list item, and display it in the text field.

      Required
      A combination text-list control whose list box cannot take focus is a tab group.

      Required
      When focus is in a text-list control whose list box is temporarily displayed and keyboard navigation (for example, tab group or window navigation) is used to move the focus elsewhere, the list box is removed if currently displayed.

      Recommended
      Display the list box when the user presses Alt V if the text field has focus and the list box is not currently displayed.

      Required
      When a text-entry field in a combination text-list control has focus, input of printing characters enters them into the text field, with or without prefix navigation.

      Recommended
      When a text-display field in a combination text-list control has focus, use entered printing characters either for prefix completion or for first-letter cursor navigation in the associated list.

      Required
      When a list item is selected, other than by prefix navigation, place the text of the newly selected list item in the text field.

      Required
      When a newly selected list item is placed in the text field and is selected in the text field, place the cursor at the end of the text field.

      Recommended
      When a newly selected list item is placed in the text field, other than by prefix completion, select it in the text field as a persistent selection.

      Recommended
      When scrolling the text field horizontally, scroll the associated list horizontally in conjunction with it.

      Required
      Provide vertical scroll bars if some of the items in the list box are not displayed when the list box is displayed.

      Required
      Make the text field at least as wide as the list box would be if it were displayed.

      Recommended
      If the window in which the combination text-list control is displayed is sized so that even two items cannot be displayed in the list box, do not display the list box permanently.

      Recommended
      If the items in the list box are wider than the list box, support horizontal scrolling in the list box.

      Required
      If the list box is not always displayed, include a list cascade element from which the list box can be displayed.

      Recommended
      If enough space is not available to display the text field and the list cascade button, clip the text field before clipping the list cascade button horizontally.

      Recommended
      Use a down arrow graphic placed to the right of the text field, and visually distinct from it, as the list cascade button. For bidirectional and vertical language guidelines, see Chapter 11.

      Recommended
      Make the text field the same width as the list box if the list box is permanently displayed.

      Recommended
      When a user increases the size of the window in which the combination text-list control is displayed, increase the number of items displayed in the list box.

      Recommended
      When a user decreases the size of the window in which the combination text-list control is displayed, decrease the number of items displayed in the list box.

      Recommended
      Make the list box large enough to display at least two items.

      Essential Related Topics

      For more information, see the Control, Drop-Down Combination Box (Control), Drop-Down List (Control), List Box (Control), Option Menu (Menu Type), Scroll Bar (Control), Selection Box (Control), and Text-Entry Field (Control) reference pages.

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