Re: NSMenu* and NSPopuUp* issues

[Tim Harrison]

Willem Rein Oudshoorn wrote:

> Personally I opt for having horizontal menus.  But well, I only volunteer
> implementing this if I people agree on restructering the NSMenuView
> hierarchy.

I would like to see horizontal menus, as well.  If these could be 
provided for without causing too much trouble within -gui, that would be 
wonderful.  If it cannot be done, then I'd like to, at least, see the 
possibility to modify the -gui behaviour with an additional bundle.

I know that menu placement is a VERY touchy subject, and many of those 
that are die-hard NeXT/NEXTSTEP/OPENSTEP/OpenStep folk certainly don't 
wish to see horizontal menus.  I know there are some who have found the 
horizontal menus in OS X to be more beneficial.  This is not an easy 
answer, really.

An additional thought would be of which menu type would be seen as more 
comfortable for users.  NEXTSTEP/OPENSTEP are no longer in common use 
(and, arguably, were never really all that common), and OS X does not 
use vertical menus.  Nor do any other environments that I'm currently 
familiar with.  I'm not saying that because no one else is using it, we 
shouldn't.  I'm just pointing out that users might not be as comfortable 
with vertical menus.

When it comes right down to it, maybe providing hooks for modifying the 
menu behaviour via a third party bundle, and allowing for modifiers 
within the code to specify where in a menu one might find an entry (such 
as "Quit" going within an application menu, or what have you).

I'm unable to give a better answer than that, but I don't want to see 
the vertical menu behaviour negate the ability to modify that menu 
behaviour.

Just my opinion.

--

Tim Harrison
tim@linuxstep.org
http://www.linuxstep.org/