Menus and toolbars
You can use menus and toolbars to provide users with specific actions for a highlighted item or screen. The table below provides a high-level overview of each type of menu and the toolbar and suggestions on how you can use these items together in an application.
Item
|
Example
|
Use
|
Using items together
|
|---|
Full menu
|
|
Allows users to perform all actions for a screen in an application.
|
Group similar (but not critical) menu items in a submenu to help users find actions in the full menu more easily.
|
Submenu
|
 |
Allows users to find frequently used items in the full menu more easily.
|
Move related, less frequently used menu items out of the full menu into a submenu.
|
Pop-up menu
|
 |
Allows users to perform the most common actions for a highlighted item quickly.
|
Use a pop-up menu instead of a toolbar for actions specific to a highlighted item.
Avoid including the same action in a pop-up menu and a toolbar unless the actions are very frequent.
|
Toolbar
|
 |
Provides a quick and easy way for users to access the most frequent actions for a screen or an application on a touch screen device.
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Use a toolbar instead of a pop-up menu for actions associated with a screen or if users need to repeatedly perform an action.
Avoid including the same action in both a pop-up menu and a toolbar unless the actions are very frequent.
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