Menus

Menus at the Application Level

The application level is the second level of the three-level system hierarchy. Within an application, the user should be able to choose all related object classes and the corresponding actions to start a task in order to process a particular object of this class.

Below, we give a step-by-step description on how to design a menu bar on the application level.

Step 1: Include all Object Classes in the Menu Bar

When structuring the menu bar, first try to include all object classes of the application in the menu bar. Then assign the individual actions to these object classes in the respective pull-down menus.

Step 2: Create Super Classes

If there is not enough space in the menu bar (the menu bar can have up to 6 menus in addition to the system menus), group the object classes together to form super classes. Provide these super classes with mnemonic names which characterize the subordinate object classes, so that the users have no problems with allocating the individual object classes to the individual super classes.

Assign the object classes to the super classes in the respective pull-down menus. In the pull-down menus of the next level, assign then the actions to the object classes.

Step 3: Form Useful Units

If the number of object classes of a pull-down menu is more than seven (orientation value), group the object classes within the pull-down menu to form a maximum of seven useful units separated by lines.

Step 4: Repeat these three Steps, if necessary

If there is still not enough room in the menu bar, repeat the three-step procedure described several times by grouping the super classes.

Goal: Flat Hierarchy

When structuring the menus in this way, the total quantity of the pull-down options subordinate to a menu bar option should be arranged on as few hierarchy levels as possible.