Adding Commands to a Dropdown Menu

Summary: Design Suggestion

Nearly all menus have at least two commands. If you have a menu with only one command (or none), consider moving it to another menu. You can always separate different command groups by adding separator lines between them. (For more information on separator lines, see page 100.)

Dropdown menus contain double-chevron braces for adding commands to the menu (Figure 5.10).

·To add a command to a dropdown menu:

1.Do one of the following:

Click the menu to which you wish to add the command.

Press ALT+F6 to activate the prototyped window; press ALT again to activate the menu bar; highlight the item with the ARROW keys; and press ENTER.

2.Click the double-chevron braces (<< >>) or use the keyboard to highlight the double braces and press ENTER. The command version of the Insert Menu Item dialog box appears (Figure 5.11).

3.Fill in the dialog box with the options appropriate for this command. Choose OK.

·To add a new command between existing commands:

1.Make the prototyped window active by pressing ALT+F6. Press ALT again to activate the menu bar, highlighting the first menu.

2.Use the ARROW keys to highlight the command that will come after the new command.

3.From the Edit menu, choose the Insert command. The Insert Menu Item dialog box appears.

4.Fill in the dialog box with the options appropriate for this command. Choose OK.

For commands, the Insert Menu Item dialog box contains the following options:

String

Sets the command name to a string.

Separator

Places a horizontal line across the menu to act as a visual separator between commands. (For more information on separator lines, see page 100.)

Bitmap

Places the contents of a bitmap file on the menu instead of a name. (If chosen, a dialog box asks for the bitmap filename. The filename then appears in place of the command name in the Menu Item Name edit field.)

Name

The name for the command. Place an ampersand in front of the letter that will activate the command (for example, &Open makes the “O” the hot key).

Accelerator

A key or key-combination that invokes this command directly, bypassing the menu system. Also called a “shortcut key.” See the list of valid accelerator keys below.

Active

Makes the command initially active.

Grayed

Makes the command initially inactive.

Checked

Makes the command initially active and places a check to the left of the command.

None

Does not insert any links for the command.

Dropdown Menu

Links the command to a secondary “cascaded” menu. An arrow appears to the right of command to indicate the subordinate menu. Double-chevron braces (<< >>) appear on the cascaded menu for adding commands. (For more information on cascaded menus, see page 101.)

Dialog Box

Links the command to a dialog box. If you select this option, choose the Configure Link button to tell QuickCase:W which dialog resource you want to link to.

User-Defined Code

Links the command to a separate file containing source-code statements. If you select this option, choose the Configure Link button to tell QuickCase:W which ASCII file you want to link to.

You can assign any of the following accelerator keys and key combinations to a command:

F1–F12

ALT + F1–F12, HOME, END, BACKSPACE, All ARROW Keys

CTRL, SHIFT + F1–F12, HOME, END, BACKSPACE, All ARROW Keys, A–Z

NOTE:

You must type the accelerator-key sequence in the Accelerator edit field of the Insert Menu Item dialog box. For example, to add F3 as an accelerator key you must type F3 rather than press the F3 key.