Windows Mobile Application Design Guide-software keys and menus

Soft keys and menus

The soft key is used to display menus and menu commands. The shortcut key is displayed on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. On Windows Mobile-based smartphone, you can press the corresponding button at the bottom of the soft key to trigger a soft key. On Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, the user clicks the corresponding button on the screen ..

In a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, the soft key toolbar should always be displayed so that users can access the Input Panel (SIP ).

Note:In the Pocket PC of Windows Mobile, the soft key toolbar replaces the menu toolbar in the previous version.

For more information about hardware, visit mobile device hardware.

When yourProgramWhen using soft keys and menus, consider the following:

• When only one menu item needs to be displayed, it should be placed on the left soft key instead of the Right soft key.
• When a menu command acts on most projects on the current screen, it is disabled when it is not applicable. If a menu command only acts on a few items on the screen, remove it if it is not applicable.
• The maximum number of menu entries displayed on a menu is as follows:
  • Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC: 11.
  • Windows Mobile-based smartphone: 9.
• Menus that need to be rolled can be discouraged. In any case, the following menu entries can be displayed on the screen before the menu starts to scroll:
  • Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC: 15.
  • Windows Mobile-based smartphone: 10.
• When using a sub-menu, it is not good to create a sub-menu.
• If a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC has a keyboard, the secondary memory mark should be displayed on the menu. If you do not specify a secondary marker, the device will automatically assign it to them. For more information, see mnemonics guidelines.
• On Windows Mobile-based smartphone, the number ranging from 1 to 9 is allocated from the top to the end of the menu command. If necessary, the number ranges from 1 to 10. Number access also applies to sub-menus, and numbers also start from 1. If possible, always assign the same number to a command so that the user can execute the command quickly.

Memory aid

Digital Access

• When using shortcuts on a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, ensure that the shortcut keys are consistent with those of other programs. Do Not Display shortcuts on the menu. For more information, see export cut key guidelines.

Menu command order

The menu command should be arranged from the top of the menu in the order of the following table.

Note:If your program has more than 9 menu commands, use the left soft key to provide the second menu.

If both the left and right soft keys provide menus, the menu name should correspond to the commands they provide.

Command	Description
Most likely operations	The most useful and non-destructive commands should be displayed on the left soft key (sk1) instead of repeated in the right soft key (sk2) menu.
Secondary operation	Secondary possible operations should be placed at the top of the menu, such as "new", "play", "View", "delete", and "print.
Edit command	Sort these commands in the following order:Cut,Copy,Paste, And other specialPasteCommand.ClearAndSelect All.
View commands	It contains operations that change the user's current view but do not modify data. It also contains some operations that control the user interface elements, such asShow Address Bar".
Other commands	Contains commands supported by some other programs, such asSearch/replace","ZoomAndSend by email.
Option command	Place the option command at the bottom of the menu and separate it with a split line from other menus.

Menu command type

Command type	Description
Status	Select a status command to activate a property and wait for other statuses to be activated. The status command is used only when the status is relative and clear. If the function does not need to be called from the menu, you can consider placing the function call to the check box event. (If the functionality associated with the commands doesnt need to be accessible from a menu, consider using a check box instead. the translation of this sentence is not smooth, so put it in the original article. For more information, see check box guidelines.
Group Options	Selecting one of the grouping options will enable other options to be automatically selected. These options are usually separated from other menu commands by dividing lines. The Group option is used only when there are few related options and only one option is selected at any time. When the number of options is large, we recommend that you place these options in a sub-menu. If these options are not directly used, we recommend that you add them to the option command.
Command to be entered by the user	On a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, the ellipsis must be used for each command menu that opens a new window.

Status attribute

The display of these items on the soft key toolbar depends on the current user interface. The following table describes the statuses of these different soft key toolbar.

Current User Interface	Soft key toolbar status
Dialog Box	On a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, This toolbar is left blank except for sip. On Windows Mobile-based smartphone, the soft key toolbar can only be in the following two States: CompleteAndCancel Complete
Notification Window	Display the sip on the toolbar. If the menu is not required, the soft key displays some common commands related to the notification. The following lists some common commands used in the notification window: OK  AgreeAndReject EliminateAndNotification later ViewAndEliminate
Wizard	Display the sip on the soft-key toolbar. The soft key displays the following commands based on the current screen. Left soft key Display on the first screenCancel  Other screens in the futureBack Right soft key Except for the last screenNext step Display on the last screenEnd

Text

Limit the text on the soft key to a word.

On a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC, the menu text is in 8 PT size, tahoma font, bold, and uppercase letters. Use the 9pt size, tahoma font, bold, and uppercase letters for the text in the menu command item.

For Windows Mobile-based smartphone, menus and menu items are in the 10pt size, segoe font, bold, and uppercase letters.
 

Original article address