Menus
Windows uses menus to list commands in
groups (Figure 1.17). Menus are especially
convenient when you're new to a program
because they show you what commands are
available and make experimenting easy.
Experienced users prefer to use keyboard
shortcuts instead of the mouse to choose
menu commands. Programs often provide a
keyboard shortcut for a frequently used
command, which appears to the right of the
command on its menu line. To choose Copy,
for example, press Ctrl+C. If no shortcut key
is listed for the command, you can use Alt+
the command's underlined menu letter
instead.
Tips
- Commands with a triangular arrowhead
next to them have additional choices
listed in a submenu. To open a submenu,
click or point to the command.
- Checked commands (Figure 1.18)
represent on/off options or mutually
exclusive choices.
- Dimmed commands are unavailable in
the current context. Cut and Copy are
unavailable if nothing is selected, for
example.
- Within individual menus, commands
are grouped logically by horizontal lines
called command separators.
- Some menus are consistent across programs.
The File menu almost always has
the commands New, Open, Save, Save As,
Print, and Exit; the Edit menu has the
commands Undo, Cut, Copy, and Paste.
To choose a menu command:
1. Click the menu name.
The menu appears, displaying its
commands.
2. Point to the desired menu command.
3. Click to choose the command.
The menu disappears.
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Most menu commands take effect as
soon as you choose them. If a command
needs more information to complete, it's
followed by an ellipsis (.), which lets you
know that a dialog box will appear to let
you enter more information. The Find
command in Figure 1.17, for example, has
an ellipsis because the command isn't
complete until you specify what you want
to find.
Some commands, such as Properties and
Help > About, show a dialog box but have
no ellipsis because no more information
is needed to run the command.
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Figure 1.17 Menus are located in the menu bar at the top of a program's window.
Figure 1.18 A checked command indicates an option that's turned on or selected.
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To choose a menu command by using
the keyboard:
1. Hold down Alt, press the underlined letter
in the menu name, and then release
both keys.
In some programs, the underlines or menu
bar won't appear until you press Alt.
2. On the keyboard, press the underlined
letter of a menu command.
3. If a submenu appears, press the underlined
letter of a submenu command.
Tips
- To display underlines in dialog boxes and
other windows, choose Start > Control
Panel > Ease of Access > Ease of Access
Center > Make the Keyboard Easier to
Use > check Underline Keyboard
Shortcuts and Access Keys > Save.
- If two or more menu commands have the
same underlined letter, press the letter
repeatedly until you select the right command;
then press Enter.
- Another way to use the keyboard: Press
F10 or Alt (by itself) to activate the
menu bar, use the arrow keys to navigate
to a command, and then press Enter.
- In some Vista programs-Windows
Explorer, Internet Explorer, and Windows
Media Player, for example-you have to
press and release Alt to make the menu
bar appear.
- To close a menu without choosing a
command, press Esc twice (or click outside
the menu).
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