Re: Updating the main menu
Re: Updating the main menu
- Subject: Re: Updating the main menu
- From: Eric Wang <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 22:59:37 -0500
on 11/10/03 7:39 PM, M. Uli Kusterer at email@hidden wrote:
>
DrawMenuBar() could be what you want, if the problem really is that
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the drawing isn't triggered immediately. At least if the rumors are
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true that Cocoa's menus are implemented using the same code Carbon
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uses. SetMenuBar() expects a Handle to a menu list data structure,
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which you can only get using other Carbon Menu Manager calls, and
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which needs to load the menus from a resource file, which you
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definitely don't want to do.
Thanks a lot Uli. Linking to Carbon and calling DrawMenuBar() whenever I
add/remove items from the main menu forces the menu to update immediately.
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May I join in and urge you not to do this, however? Mac users are
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used to the menu bar staying the same. If menus appear and disappear
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at the switch of a window, they'll be surprised, and it may ruin
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their "muscle memory" when other menus move because one to their left
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disappeared. On the Mac, the usual way to handle menu changes inside
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the application is to have all items present but to disable (i.e.
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grey out) the menus and menu items that aren't applicable right now.
>
>
The only occasion on which menus should actually change like that is
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when switching between several applications, and that you're trying
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to do this could imply that you have merged several applications into
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one. It may be smarter to split up your application into several.
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>
If you don't believe me, read Apple's (Aqua) Human Interface
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Guidelines. they detail all of the reasons why this is frowned upon.
Oh, but I do believe you. I have read the Aqua Human Interface Guidelines,
but I think my particular case is the exception to the rule. It's
interesting you bring up the issue of "muscle memory." I had similar
thoughts when moving from OS 9 to OS X. I was concerned that the
variable-width application menu might cause me to click on the wrong menu at
times, but I haven't had too much of a problem with it so far.
I appreciate your thoughts on this topic. User interface issues are
something I try to keep a keen eye on.
Eric Wang
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