Contents

Preface

Guide to human interface guidelines

CommonPoint information set

Getting started

Taxonomy

Developer guides

Usage and tools guidelines

Application documentation

Documented sample programs and sample code

Installation and late-breaking information

Typographical conventions

About the CommonPoint human interface

Primary interface goals

Today's graphical user interfaces

Application-centric design

Laborious integration of data types

Limitations of the desktop metaphor

Inconsistent representation of others

Weak support for collaboration

The CommonPoint system's value to users

Creating and customizing

Finding and organizing

Communicating and collaborating

The CommonPoint system's value to developers

CommonPoint interface objects

Thing elements

Components

Documents

Stationery

Containers

Tools

Appliances

Links and references

Place elements

People elements

About the current release

User actions: mouse and keyboard

Using the keyboard

Modifier keys

Text keys

Menu shortcuts

Using the mouse

Clicking

Double-clicking

Pressing

Dragging

Selecting

Linking

Cursors

Creating a cursor graphic

Cursors and sprites

No busy cursors

Workspace objects

Workspace icons

Icon names

Basic Workspace interaction

Selecting

Moving

Copying and duplicating

Opening

Folders

Documents

Links and references

Stationery

Appliances

Trash

Filtering the view of Workspace objects

Windows

Parts of a window

Title tab

Title

Proxy icon

Close box

Minimizer

Zoom box

Resize corners

Drag bar

Scroll bars

Scroll channel

Scroll thumb

Scroll arrows

Window groups

Window layering

The desktop window group

Activating a window

Opening a window

Dialog boxes, panels, and palettes

Dialog behavior

Dialog positioning

Documents and frames

Containment

Components

How components are represented

Frames

Frame selection

Frame activation

Copying and pasting frames

Controls

Common features

Control execution

Disabled controls

Default settings

System font

Capitalization of labels

Command buttons

When to use a command button

Default command button

Command button layout

Picture buttons

Command button interaction

Radio buttons

When to use radio buttons

Radio button layout

Radio button interaction

Check boxes

When to use check boxes

Check-box layout

Check-box interaction

Pop-up menus

When to use a pop-up menu

Pop-up menu layout

Pop-up menu interaction

Autoscrolling and pop-ups

Scrolling lists

When to use a scrolling list

Scrolling list layout

Scrolling list interaction

Sliders

When to use a slider

Slider layout

Slider interaction

Text entry fields

When to use a text entry field

Text entry field layout

Text entry field interaction

Spin buttons

When to use a spin button

Spin button layout

Spin button interaction

Drop down combination boxes

When to use a drop down combination box

Drop down combination box layout

Drop down combination box interaction

Border areas

When to use a border

Border layout

Border interaction

Commands: menus and tools

Menu overview

Menu model

Additional menus

Disabled states

Capitalization

Menu interaction

Sticky menus

Tear-off menus

Scrolling menus

Menu items

CommonPoint menus

Services menu

Document menu

Edit menu

Window menu

File menu

Special menu

Filter menu

Clean Up

Tools

Cursors, tools, and activation

When to create a tool

Types of tools