More cross-platform info needed - menus

[Alex Tweedly]

Scott Kane wrote:

>Hi Sarah,
>
>  
>
>>Mac users expect a "Quit" with the shortcut Command-Q.
>>I think I am correct in thinking that Windows users expect "Exit". 
>>    
>>
>
>Yes.  You are right.  Windows users do expect that.  There two
>types of shortcuts though.  some programmers use alt + e and most
>use alt + x.  
>
Not sure I would agree with that recommendation. As far as I know, on 
Windows the Alt + char shortcuts should follow the Menu, so you would 
(usually) have the first menu item be File, and the last entry within 
that be Exit - and hence an exit shortcut would be most often Alt-F + 
Alt-X but I think I have seen Alt-F + Alt-E.

If there are additional, single key shortcuts, they *usually* use the 
Ctrl key. The MS GUI guidelines say that "CTRL+letter combinations and 
function keys F!-F12 are usually the best choices". (see URL below); 
there is no required or recommended shortcut for program exit. I most 
often see Ctrl-Q, sometime Ctrl-E and never Ctrl-X (since that's the 
standard shortcut for "Cut to clipboard").  There are some programs that 
use single-letter Alt-char shortcuts, indeed some that use Alt-X or 
Alt-E for exit, but I suspect those are ports from other systems - but 
the guidelines recommend against it.

MS has an excellent document about this - worth taking an hour or two to 
read it - 
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnacc/html/ATG_KeyboardShortcuts.asp

>The alt + F4 is a standard Windows sequence and applied
>to any window (modal, document etc).  The system performs the 
>alt+F4 for you unless you code it to bypass this (not recommended).
>  
>
I second that.

>>Preferences: 
>>    
>>
>
>Preferences does fine.  Others used are "Program Settings", "User
>Settings" -
>heaps of them really.  I'd stick with Preferences...
>  
>
Option is more common Win than Preferences -

-- 
Alex Tweedly       http://www.tweedly.net

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