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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Selection

Reference

Description

Selection includes the following:

Pending delete
A mode of a selection scope in which an insertion within a selected region replaces the selected item.

Persistent selection
A selection whose state is unaffected by making a selection in another selection scope.

Primary selection
A selection that is automatically deselected when a new primary selection is made elsewhere.

Guidelines

Required
A selection scope must use, at any one time, either a primary selection approach or a persistent selection approach.

Required
When a scope uses a primary selection approach, deselect the primary selection when the user makes a nonempty primary selection in another scope.

Required
Selections in a scope that use a persistent selection approach should be unaffected by selections made in a different scope.

Required
If your application selection model allows at most one element at a time to be selected, use a persistent selection approach.

Recommended
When a scope uses a primary selection approach, deselect the primary selection when, during the use of a mouse-based selection technique in another scope that uses primary selection, emphasis indicates that one or more elements would be selected if the technique were completed at that point.

Recommended
If a selection model allows multiple elements to be selected, support either a primary or a persistent selection approach.

Required
Allow a selection if the pointer or cursor is on a selected element that cannot be activated or toggled (for example, a push button within a selected text region).

Required
Allow a selection if the pointer or cursor is between elements in a selected text region.

Optional
Allow a selection if the pointer or cursor is in the background in the midst of a dense region of selected elements.

Required
If pending delete is enabled, allow the user to delete the contents of a selection before performing a transfer by inserting or pasting elements into the selection (except possibly on a link operation or, for a primary copy, at the edge of the primary selection).

Required
Support pending delete only when a text or graphics cursor is used.

Required
Disable pending delete behavior if it would lead to deletion of an object.

Enable pending delete behavior when a text cursor is used.

Disable pending delete behavior when an element cursor is used.

Recommended
Disable pending delete behavior when a graphics cursor is used. If it is enabled, allow the user to disable it.

Recommended
When the user is using keyboard navigation, do not skip over a selectable element simply because it is obscured; navigate to it and make it visible within its window. Raise it, if necessary, above any siblings or other controls in the window.

Recommended
If the user can manipulate the shape of elements (or a group of elements) through sizing borders or handles, display them when the elements (or group of elements) are selected, and remove them when they are deselected.

Essential Related Topics

For more information, see the Selection Models, Selection Modes, and Selection Techniques reference pages.

Supplemental Related Topics

For more information, see the Keyboard (Device) and Mouse (Device) reference pages.

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