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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Selection Modes

Reference

Description

Selection modes are modes that control whether the elements identified by a selection technique are selected or have their selection state toggled.

When to Use

Required
If toggle mode is supported, support add mode as well.

Required
If toggle mode is the default mode, support only toggle mode and add mode.

Required
If select mode is the default mode, and discontiguous selections are allowed, then holding Ctrl down while initiating a mouse-based selection technique forces it to operate in toggle mode.

Recommended
If select mode is the default mode, so is normal mode.

Recommended
Even if selections are required to be contiguous, support add mode to allow keyboard users to perform primary transfers.

Guidelines

Required
When select mode or normal mode is in use, all elements (if any) identified by a selection technique are selected, and all other elements are deselected.

Required
When toggle mode or add mode is in use, all elements (if any) identified by a selection technique have their selection state toggled based on the toggling policy; the selection state of the remaining elements is unaffected. However:

  1. If at most one element can be selected, and the technique selects an element, deselect any other element selected.

  2. If selections are required to be contiguous, the identified elements are selected and all other elements are deselected (in add mode only; toggle mode is not supported).

    3. Required
    Use of a navigation key to move the active cursor within a selection scope in normal mode, which results in an element cursor being placed on a selectable element, selects that element and deselects all other elements in the scope.

    Required
    Use of a navigation key to move the active cursor within a selection scope in normal mode, which results in an element cursor being placed on a nonselectable element or on the control (as a whole) that contains the scope, deselects all elements in the scope.

    Required
    Use of a navigation key to move the active cursor within a selection scope in normal mode, which results in a text cursor displayed as the active cursor, deselects all elements in the scope.

    Required
    Use of a navigation key to move the active cursor within a selection scope in normal mode, which results in a graphics cursor displayed as the active cursor, has no effect on the selection state of elements within the scope.

    Required
    Use of a navigation key to move the active cursor within a selection scope in add mode has no effect on the selection state of elements within the scope.

    Required
    For mouse-based operations in select mode, select the identified elements.

    Required
    For mouse-based operations in toggle mode, toggle the selection state of the identified elements.

    Required
    For keyboard-based operations in normal mode, select the identified elements.

    Required
    For keyboard-based operations in add mode, toggle the selection state of the identified elements.

    Required
    Clicking the SELECT button in a selection scope, while using select mode on a nonselectable element that can take focus, moves focus to that element and deselects all elements in the scope.

    Required
    Clicking Ctrl SELECT in a selection scope, while using select mode on a nonselectable element that can take focus, moves focus to that element but does not affect the selection state of elements in the scope.

    Required
    When both normal mode and add mode are supported, allow a user to press Shift F8 to switch between the modes.

    Required
    Switching between normal mode and add mode does not change the default mouse-based mode.

    Required
    If a selection scope is editable, automatically switch from add mode to normal mode when an operation is performed on the selection or when it is deselected.

    Recommended
    When switching from normal mode to add mode, if the cursored element is the only one selected, deselect it.

    Required
    When both normal mode and add mode are supported, distinguish visually between the two modes.

    Recommended
    When an element cursor is used in a scope that supports both normal mode and add mode, use a box element cursor in normal mode and a dashed element cursor in add mode.

    Essential Related Topics

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

    Supplemental Related Topics

    For more information, see the Selection Models reference page.

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