menu

operating system A list from which the user may select an

operation to be performed. This is often done with a mouse

or other pointing device under a graphical user interface

but may also be controlled from the keyboard.

Menus are very convenient for beginners because they show what

commands are available and make experimentating with a new

program easy, often reducing the need for user documentation.

Experienced users however, often prefer keyboard commands,

especially for frequently user operations, because they are

faster to use. In situations such as text entry where the

keyboard must be used anyway, having to move your hand to the

mouse to invoke a menu operation is slow.

There are many different ways of presenting menus but the most

common are the menu bar (with pull-down menus) and the

context-sensitive menu.

The term "menu" tends to be reserved for a list of actions or

global options, whereas a "list box" or other graphical

widget might present any kind of choice.

See also menuitis.

(1994-12-02)