menu
Computing a list of options displayed on a visual display unit from which the operator selects an action to be carried out by positioning the cursor or by depressing the appropriate key
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
menu
[′men·yü] (computer science)
A list of computer functions appearing on a video display terminal which indicates the possible operations that a computer can perform next, only one of which can be selected by the operator.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
menu
(operating system)A list from which the user may select an
operation to be performed. This is often done with a mouse
or other pointing device under a graphical user interface
but may also be controlled from the keyboard.
Menus are very convenient for beginners because they show what commands are available and make experimentating with a new program easy, often reducing the need for user documentation. Experienced users however, often prefer keyboard commands, especially for frequently user operations, because they are faster to use. In situations such as text entry where the keyboard must be used anyway, having to move your hand to the mouse to invoke a menu operation is slow.
There are many different ways of presenting menus but the most common are the menu bar (with pull-down menus) and the context-sensitive menu.
The term "menu" tends to be reserved for a list of actions or global options, whereas a "list box" or other graphical widget might present any kind of choice.
See also menuitis.
Menus are very convenient for beginners because they show what commands are available and make experimentating with a new program easy, often reducing the need for user documentation. Experienced users however, often prefer keyboard commands, especially for frequently user operations, because they are faster to use. In situations such as text entry where the keyboard must be used anyway, having to move your hand to the mouse to invoke a menu operation is slow.
There are many different ways of presenting menus but the most common are the menu bar (with pull-down menus) and the context-sensitive menu.
The term "menu" tends to be reserved for a list of actions or global options, whereas a "list box" or other graphical widget might present any kind of choice.
See also menuitis.
This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
menu
An on-screen list of available actions a user can perform in a software program. Menu titles may appear as text, icons or both, and selection is made by clicking or tapping the title and selecting from the list.The Disappearing Menu
In order to keep making software "slicker," many applications today eliminate the familiar row of menu items that were common years ago. The user has to click an icon to display a hidden menu and then make a selection. See menu bar, menu pane, pull-down menu and Lotus menu.
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| Menu Icons |
|---|
| Increasingly, menus appear as icons that have to be clicked or tapped to view a list of options. These examples are from the Chrome Web browser on a Mac (top) and Android Galaxy Note II smartphone (bottom). Dashes and dots are common menu graphics. |
 |
| Menu Icons |
|---|
| Increasingly, menus appear as icons that have to be clicked or tapped to view a list of options. These examples are from the Chrome Web browser on a Mac (top) and Android Galaxy Note II smartphone (bottom). Dashes and dots are common menu graphics. |
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