5.1 Support standard system size, color, font, and input settings
5.2 Ensure compatibility with the High Contrast option
5.3 Provide documented keyboard access to all features
5.4 Provide notification of the keyboard focus location
5.5 Do not rely exclusively on sound
5.6 Do not place shortcuts to documents, help, or uninstall in the Start Menu
5.7 Support multiple monitors
Your application must read and use system-wide user interface settings when displaying customized controls or window content. Standard controls provided by USER32.DLL and COMCTL32.DLL automatically support all of the required settings. Applications can add support for these settings to their own windows by calling DefWindowProc in the window procedure. Applications should be careful to handle these settings when:
These settings are queried using the GetSysColor, GetSystemMetrics, and SystemParametersInfo functions. For more information, see: "System Information Functions" in the Microsoft Platform SDK at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/sysmgmt/sysinfo_8stv.htm.
All applications must support:
| SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST | All GetSysColor settings are required for menus, dialog boxes, and other standard UI elements; see Requirement 5.2 |
| SPI_GETWORKAREA | Primary display monitor work area size |
Customized combo boxes must support:
| SPI_GETCOMBOBOXANIMATION | Slide-open effect for combo boxes must be disabled when this setting is false |
Customized keyboard handlers (low level input) must support:
| SPI_GETKEYBOARDDELAY
SPI_GETKEYBOARDSPEED |
Keyboard repeat-delay setting
Keyboard repeat-speed setting |
| SPI_GETFILTERKEYS | Expanded range for above |
Customized menus must support:
| SM_CYMENUCHECK, CXMENUCHECK | Default menu check-mark dimensions |
| SM_CYMENU | Single-line menu bar height |
| SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS
IfMenuHeight lfMenuFont lfMessageFont |
Menu bar height Menu bar font Message box font |
| SPI_GETSELECTIONFADE | Menu fade must be disabled when this setting is FALSE |
| SPI_GETMENUANIMATION | Menu animation must be disabled when this setting is FALSE |
| SPI_GETMENUFADE | Menu fade animation must be disabled when this setting is FALSE |
Specialized mouse functions must support:
| SM_CYDOUBLECLK,
SM_CXDOUBLECLK |
Maximum vertical and horizontal distances the mouse can move between successive clicks and still be interpreted as a double-click |
| SM_CYDRAG, SM_CXDRAG | Minimum vertical and horizontal distances the mouse must be moved with button down to start a drag operation |
| SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERHEIGHT
SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERWIDTH |
Height and width of the rectangle within which the mouse pointer has to stay to activate hover effects |
| SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERTIME | Mouse hover time |
Customized scroll bars must support:
| SM_CYHSCROLL
SM_CXVSCROLL |
Height of horizontal scroll bar
Width of a vertical scroll bar |
Application sounds must support:
| SPI_GETSHOWSOUNDS | When TRUE, the application must present all information visually rather than by sound alone |
Customized tooltips must support:
| SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS
SPI_lfStatusFont |
Font used in status bars and tooltips |
| SPI_GETTOOLTIPANIMATION | ToolTip animation must be disabled when this setting is FALSE |
Customized window frames must support:
| SM_CYSMCAPTION | Small caption height |
| SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS
IfCaptionFont |
Caption font information |
| SM_CYBORDER, SM_CXBORDER | Minimum thickness of a line, in pixels. Applications should not draw lines thinner than this because on high-resolution monitors a 1-pixel line might be nearly invisible (the display driver sets this number, and it is also increased when the user selects the Custom System Font Size in Control Panel.) |
| SM_CXEDGE
SM_CYEDGE |
Thickness of a 3D edge, in pixels
Each 3D edge is comprised of two adjacent lines, so the thickness is 2 * SM_CxBORDER |
| SM_CXSIZEFRAME
SM_CYSIZEFRAME |
Thickness of the complete resizable window frame, in pixels |
| SM_CYFIXEDFRAME
SM_CXFIXEDFRAME |
Thickness of a non-resizable window frame, in pixels
This is made up of one 3D edge whose thickness is SM_CxEDGE plus one line of space whose thickness is SM_CxBORDER |
Your application must be compatible with the High Contrast option, which indicates that the user requires a high degree of contrast to improve screen legibility. Standard controls provided by USER32.DLL and COMCTL32.DLL automatically support all of the required settings. Applications only need to support it explicitly when creating custom window classes or controls or altering the normal behavior of standard windows or controls.
Applications can determine the value of the High Contrast option using the SystemParametersInfo function with the SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST constant. When this option is set, your application must:
This is required whether colors are selected using the GetSysColor function or through the application's own options
For example, anything drawn using window text color (COLOR_WINDOWTEXT) must be drawn on the window background color (COLOR_WINDOW), and anything drawn using highlight text color (COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT) must be drawn on highlight background (COLOR_HIGHLIGHT)
Note Users can adjust the High Contrast option from the Accessibility Options section of Control Panel, by selecting the Display tab and then the Use High Contrast check box. Users can adjust the values returned by GetSysColors using the Display section of Control Panel, by selecting the Appearance tab. The High Contrast option can be used with any appearance scheme, and selecting a scheme through the Display section of Control Panel does not affect the High Contrast option setting.
Exceptions Certain application features may be exempted from High Contrast requirements when the use of color is intrinsic and indispensable to the goal of the feature. Examples include: 1) palettes or swatches where the user selects from a range of displayed colors. In this case, the application can display the color but must provide a text description such as a name (light blue) or numeric value (RGB 0, 255, 255); 2) animation, video, and graphic images when the information content is available through other means; 3) entire applications are exempted only when it can be shown that the application has no value without the use of color. For example, painting programs may be exempted, but drawing programs where the user manipulates shapes would not be exempted; and 4) reference and educational titles will not be exempted.
When the major features in the application support the High Contrast option, exceptions may also be made for minor features that are not required for the operation of the program.
Requests for exemptions are judged on a case-by-case basis. You must detail these exceptions in your Vendor Questionnaire.
Your application must provide keyboard access to all features, so that a mouse or other pointing device is not required for its use. Standard controls provided by USER32.DLL and COMCTL32.DLL automatically support all of the required settings. Applications must explicitly provide this support only when:
User interface elements that rely on standard Windows keyboard documentation should support all equivalent standard window class keyboard behavior. If a specific user interface element, such as a custom control, requires a mouse or other pointing device, its functionality must also be available through keyboard input.
All keyboard techniques required to operate the application must be documented, except for elements that follow Windows conventions, e.g., standard menus and controls. Applications must document non-intuitive complex procedures, customized window class usage, and controls that do not conform to normal conventions. The product's standard documentation must either include this information or direct the user to the appropriate documents. For example, information can be delivered by online help, with text file on the product CD, or through the product's Web site.
Note Keyboard behavior of standard window classes is documented in "The Microsoft Windows Keyboard Guide" available at: http://www.microsoft.com/enable.
Exemptions may be made in the following cases:
For example, painting with the mouse. These features may rely on the MouseKeys feature built into the 32-bit Microsoft Windows operating systems to allow users to move the mouse pointer using the keyboard. However, this is not acceptable for drawing when the user can independently manipulate separate text and graphic objects. This exemption applies to individual features within a product, not to the entire application.
When the major features in the application have keyboard access, exceptions may be made for minor features that are not required for the operation of the program.
Requests for exemptions are judged on a case-by-case basis. You must detail these exceptions in your Vendor Questionnaire.
Your application must visually indicate the location of the keyboard focus, and notify other software of this location by using Microsoft Active Accessibility™ or by moving the system caret.
The application must display a visual focus indicator at all times when it is the active window so users can anticipate the effects of keystrokes they type. Exposing its location to other software enables the use of the panning software supported by many display adapters and accessibility aids such as the Magnifier accessory included with Windows 98 and Windows 2000.
When it is not feasible to use Microsoft Active Accessibility, the application may indicate the focus location by moving the system caret. The caret is normally the blinking vertical bar that the user sees when editing text, but it can be placed anywhere on the screen, made any shape or size, and even made invisible. If it is invisible, it can be moved to indicate the focus location to applications without disturbing what the user sees on the screen.
To create an invisible caret call the CreateCaret function to set the caret's size and shape and the SetCaretPos function to move it to wherever you are drawing the visual focus indicator (the highlighted cell, icon, button, and so on). Note that it is present but remains invisible unless you explicitly make it visible.
Each time the focus moves to a new object with a different size, the application should call DestroyCaret and then use CreateCaret to specify the size of the new object. The system caret must cover the bounding rectangle of the screen element, so that screen magnification tools can allow the user to zoom-in on different portions of the region.
An application should only display focus and selection indicators when they are in the active window. When the window loses activation, the application should remove the visual indicator and call the DestroyCaret function.
Exception Applications and features that are exempt from the keyboard access requirement as described earlier in this section are also exempt from the requirement to expose keyboard focus location. However, it is strongly recommended that applications expose the keyboard focus location for any feature that provides keyboard access.
Applications should not convey important information exclusively by sound. If sound is the default method for conveying information, the application must provide other options to express this information.
The user may select the ShowSounds option in the Control Panel to notify applications that all information should be conveyed visually rather than relying on audible means. This option is set through the Accessibility Options section of the Control Panel. Applications can determine the current value of the ShowSounds option with the SystemParametersInfo function to query SPI_GETSHOWSOUNDS.
Applications are not required to display visual equivalents of music or other sounds that convey no information. However, they are required to display a visual indication that such sounds are playing when the ShowSounds flag is set. When a sound merely emphasizes a visible event, the application does not need to provide an additional visual indication that the sound is present. For example, when a message box appears, it is often accompanied by a warning sound. When a user presses an invalid direction key, the selection fails to move and a warning beep is produced. In these cases the application does not need to display additional visual feedback. However, when user input or an external event can trigger results indicated or distinguished exclusively by sound, additional visual notification is required.
The Start Menu is designed to give users easy access to launch applications. Usability studies show that when the Start Menu becomes too cluttered, users can no longer do this:
The following behaviors, though not required, are recommended:
In particular, do not create a folder in the Start Menu in which you only put one item. Often, applications will create a folder based on Company name and then put a single shortcut to launch the application inside that folder. Instead, consider renaming the shortcut to include the company name and dropping the use of the folder.
Programs My Company My App (Avoid this)
Programs My Company My App (Recommended)
In a multiple monitor system, the top left pixel on the primary monitor always has coordinates 0,0. Valid screen coordinates can exist anywhere in relation to this location. In particular:
Your application must support users who have two or more monitors installed. This support is automatically provided by the operating system, unless your application specifies screen coordinates in any of the windows it creates. If your application does specify screen coordinates for any window, then:
Screen elements should be displayed correctly and compatible with the appearance scheme, i.e., menu items, title bars, icons and icon titles, window borders and scroll bars are displayed with appropriate sizes and fonts. Text and controls should never overlap and text should not be truncated inappropriately. Examples of appropriate truncation are:
The application should still be usable. Screen elements should be displayed correctly and be compatible with the appearance scheme. For example, make sure that text contrasts with its background, that graphics on toolbar buttons are distinguishable, that lines are still visible, and that no images or complex backgrounds appear behind text.
If anything within the window is not displayed using the selected color scheme, verify that the user can adjust the display colors without having to alter the document.
Magnifier is included with Windows 98 and Windows 2000. For Windows 95, install the Microsoft Active Accessibility SDK to get Magnifier. Magnifier is not available for Windows NT 4.