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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Prefix Navigation

Reference

Description

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

When to Use

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

Guidelines

Required
When the user types a character in the text-entry field, move the cursor in the associated list to the next item whose label matches the prefix, enter the character into the text-entry field, and place the text cursor after the character. Keep the input focus in the text-entry field.

Required
When the user types a character in the text-entry field and there is no item matching the prefix in the list, generate a warning signal.

Required
If focus is in a text-entry field that uses prefix navigation, and the associated list box is not displayed, display the list box when the user types a printing character.

Recommended
By default, when focus is in the text field, select the cursored list item and place its text in the text field.

Required
When prefix navigation is used to move the cursor in a list, do not automatically select the cursored item unless required to do so by the selection model in use.

Recommended
When focus is in a text-entry field that uses prefix navigation, allow Ctrl V and Ctrl ^ to move the cursor and select the next or previous item that matches the prefix. Do not place the matching text in the text field.

Essential Related Topics

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

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