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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Prefix Completion

Reference

Description

Prefix completion is an internal navigation technique used in a combination text-list control in which entering a printing character immediately moves the cursor in a text-display field to the next item whose textual label begins with the prefix.

When to Use

Recommended
Use prefix completion in combination text-list controls for index and topic searching.

Guidelines

Required
When the user enters a printing character into a text-display field with prefix completion, move the cursor in the associated list to the next item that matches the prefix. Then, select the item and place its text contents into the text-display field. Leave the text cursor in place after the character that was just typed.

Required
When the user enters a printing character into a text-display field with prefix completion, and there is no item matching the prefix, generate a warning signal. Do not make any changes to the appearance of the list or of the text-display field.

Required
When the user enters a printing character in a text-display field with prefix completion, and the associated list is not displayed, do one of the following:

  1. Display the list if V also displays the list.

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

    3. Recommended
    When focus is in a text-entry field that uses prefix completion, allow Ctrl V and Ctrl ^ to move the cursor and select the next or previous item that matches the prefix. Place its text contents into the text-display field, but leave the text cursor in place.

    Recommended
    Use browse selection in the associated list when prefix completion is in use.

    Essential Related Topics

    For more information, see the Combination Text-List Control (Control Type), List Box (Control), Prefix Navigation, Text-Display Field (Control), and Text-Entry Field (Control) reference pages.

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