Getting the line number from "on menupick"

[Scott Rossi]

Recently, DunbarX at aol.com wrote:

>> I would say "it depends".  While some will argue that having all options
>> visible at once is best for the user, a 50 item menu uses a lot of
>> vertical
>> space, and could potentially cause confusion and/or be too overwhelming. 
>> I
>> think hierarchical submenus would be a more efficient solution.
>> 
> 
> I just reread your post and mine. Not that it is important, but the
> submenus in my constructions are only visible upon clicking the main menu.
> In 
> your construction all choices are visible at once. Is that what you meant,
> that 
> the entire list, including all possible submenus,   should not be seen at
> the same time? In a short list this is pleasing and makes the selections very
> accessable.

My point was that *in general* many usability advocates will say that having
all options visible to the user at once is most effective, that
choices/options should not be "hidden".  Of course this is a goal to strive
for, but not at the expense of overwhelming the user with choices --
tradeoffs have to be made.

(My example illustrated the menu structure, not what is visible.  Only the
primary menu entries would be visible, with hierarchical options available
in submenus on mouseover.)

In any event, I believe the "it depends" comment still applies.  In a short
menu list, many things are possible.  It sounds like your arrangement works
for you.  But the presentation *does* make a difference.  A menu with
duplicate entries at the top level in the hierarchy is clearly confusing --
there is no way to know which item is which. Having duplicate entries in
submenus is probably less confusing, and having the submenu contents only
visible on mouseover reduces the potential confusion even more.

So, is it right/wrong to have duplicate entries in a menu?
I would say "it depends." :-)

Regards,

Scott Rossi
Creative Director
Tactile Media, Multimedia & Design