operating system A list from which the user may select an
operation to be performed. This is often done with a
mousebut 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
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.
(1994-12-02)