Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bu.edu!dartvax!carr!kurash
From: kurash@carr.dartmouth.edu (Mark Valence)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Menu items that change
Summary: what's your opinion
Keywords: changing menus interface
Message-ID: <23043@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 5 Jul 90 15:24:40 GMT
References: <40218215MES@MSU> <42382@apple.Apple.COM> <42383@apple.Apple.COM> <1990Jun27.180718.3155@portia.Stanford.EDU> <1990Jul3.143206.940@acc.stolaf.edu> <886@mdavcr.UUCP>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: kurash@carr (Mark Valence)
Organization: Dartmouth College
Lines: 49

Dear Netters:

Here is a part of a conversation a friend and I are having about
menu items that change in different contexts.  I'm sure there
are opinions out there - could you make yours public?  Hopefully
the following excerpt will get the juices flowing:

My friend wrote:
By the way, menu items that change (like 'Clean Up Selection' versus 
'Clean Up Window' [in the Finder]) are a bad idea (regardless of the
blessings of Apple interface police).

I replied:
I disagree.  I use both versions of that function, and I know when
the item will change.  There's even a third variation that is activated
by holding the option key down.  I see three ways around the problem
(the problem being changing menu items):

1) add two more menu items for a total of three, each specifying
   a different clean-up function (could be hierarchical).

2) one menu item, and you always clean up everything in the window.
   this is how it used to be (in real old Finders).

3) one menu item with a modal dialog box.

Why I don't like these solutions:

1) menus would grow quite long, which is bad.  Microsoft knows this,
   and gives you the option (in Word) of having long or short menus.

2) As I said before, I use all three versions of the function, and
   wouldn't like to see one unavailable.

3) puke.

So, I like changing items, if they do useful things, and the basic
function remains the same.
[...stuff...]

Also, notice that a menu item that changes does NOT have a key
equivalent.  The user must go to the menu, look at the item (and
notice that it has changed), and then decide if that is what is
desired.

What are your reasons for not liking changing menus? (It's not
fair to say they just feel wrong :)

Mark.