NAME
Input Models (CDE) — Reference
Description
Input models specify the way data is entered or manipulated
in a CDE application.
Input devices have different actions depending on which part
of the interface the user is interacting with. Usually, mouse users
can access windows and controls more easily than keyboard users,
due to the inherent flexibility in mouse manipulation. Keyboard
users must use specific keys to move the cursor in the application.
Guidelines
Keyboard Focus Model
- Required
Only one window at a time can have keyboard focus.
Highlight the window that has focus. Within the window that has
keyboard focus, only one component at a time can have focus.
The keyboard focus determines which component on the screen
receives keyboard events. This rule prevents confusion about which
window and component have focus.
- Required
If your application uses an explicit focus policy,
when the user presses the SELECT button, do not move focus to a
component that is not traversable or does not accept input.
An explicit focus policy requires the user to explicitly select
which window or component receives keyboard focus. Generally, the
user gives focus to a window or component by pressing the SELECT
button over it. However, this policy must not allow the user to
give focus to a component that is not traversable or does not accept
input.
- Required
If your application uses an explicit focus policy,
highlight (with a location cursor) the component with the keyboard
focus.
The user needs to know the location of the keyboard focus
to be able to control an application.
Input Device Model
- Required
Support methods of interaction for keyboard-only
users. All features of your application should be available from
the keyboard.
Some users may not have access to a pointing device. These
users need to be able to access the full functionality of the application
from the keyboard. Also, advanced users may use the keyboard to
perform some tasks more quickly than with a pointing device.
- Required
Use the following bindings for mouse buttons:
- SELECT
Used for selection, activation, and setting the
location cursor, SELECT is the leftmost button, except for left-handed
users, where it can be the rightmost button.
- TRANSFER
Used for moving and copying elements, TRANSFER is
the middle mouse button, unless dragging is integrated with selection
or the mouse has fewer than three buttons.
- MENU
Used for popping up menus, MENU is the rightmost
button, except for left-handed users, where it can be the leftmost
button, or unless the mouse has fewer than three buttons. If the
mouse has one button, bind the MENU button to Alt
SELECT.
- Required
Do not warp the pointer unless you have given the
user a means of disabling the behavior.
The pointer position is intended only as input to applications,
not as an output mechanism. An application warps the pointer when
it changes the pointer's position. This practice is confusing to
users and reduces their sense of control over an application. Warping
the pointer can also cause problems for users of absolute location
pointing devices (for example, a puck on a graphics tablet).
- Required
Components or applications developed for CDE must
adhere to Motif key bindings (see Appendix A).
Essential Related Topics
For more information, see the Keyboard (Device)
and Mouse (Device) reference
pages.
Supplemental Related Topics
For more information, see the Pointer (Predefined)
reference page.
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