Demonstrate with suitable examples phrasing the menu.

A menu must communicate to the user information about:

• The nature and purpose of the menu itself.
• The nature and purpose of each presented choice.
• How the proper choice or choices may be selected.

Menu Titles 

• Main menu:—Create a short, simple, clear, and distinctive title, describing the purpose of the entire series of choices.

• Submenus: — Submenu titles must be worded exactly the same as the menu choice previously selected to display them.
• General: —
  • Locate the title at the top of the listing of choices.
  • Spell out the title fully using either an:
    • Uppercase font.
    • Mixed-case font in the headline style.
  • Superfluous titles may be omitted.

Menu Choice Descriptions 

• Create meaningful choice descriptions that are familiar, fully spelled out, concise, and distinctive.
• Descriptions may be single words, compound words, or multiple words or phrases.
  • Exception: Menu bar items should be a single word (if possible).
  • Place the keyword first, usually a verb.
  • Use the headline style, capitalizing the first letter of each significant word in the choice description.
  • Use task-oriented not data-oriented wording.
  • Use parallel construction.
  • A menu choice must never have the same wording as its menu title.
  • Identical choices on different menus should be worded identically.
  • Choices should not be numbered.
  • Exception: If the listing is numeric in nature, graphic, or a list of varying items it may be numbered. 
  •  If menu options will be used in conjunction with a command language, the capitalization and syntax of the choices should be consistent with the command language.
  • Word choices as commands to the computer. 

 Menu Instructions

• For novice or inexperienced users, provide menu completion instructions.
  • Place the instructions in a position just preceding the part, or parts, of the menu to which they apply.
    • Left-justify the instruction and indent the related menu choice descriptions a minimum of three spaces to the right.
    • Leave a space line, if possible, between the instructions and the related menu choice descriptio
  • Present instructions in a mixed-case font in sentence style.
• For expert users, make these instructions easy to ignore by:
  • Presenting them in a consistent location.
  • Displaying them in a unique type style and/or color. 

Intent Indicators

• Cascade indicator:
  • To indicate that selection of an item will lead to a submenu, place a triangle or right-pointing solid arrow following the choice.
  • A cascade indicator must designate every cascaded menu.
• To a window indicator:
  • For choices that result in displaying a window to collect more information, place an ellipsis (. . .) immediately following the choice.
    • Exception do not use when an action:
      • Causes a warning window to be displayed.
      • May or may not lead to a window.
• ​​​​​​​Direct action items: — For choices that directly perform an action, no special indicator should be placed on the menu. 

Keyboard Equivalents 

• To facilitate keyboard selection of a menu choice, each menu item should be assigned a keyboard equivalent mnemonic.
• The mnemonic should be the first character of the menu item’s description.
  • If duplication exists in first characters, use another character in the duplicated item’s description.
  • Preferably choose the first succeeding consonant.
• Designate the mnemonic character by underlining it.
• Use industry-standard keyboard access equivalents when they exist.

Keyboard Accelerators 

• For frequently used items, provide a keyboard accelerator to facilitate keyboard selection.
• The accelerator may be one function key or a combination of keys.
  • Function key shortcuts are easier to learn than modifier plus letter shortcuts.
• Pressing no more than two keys simultaneously is preferred.
  • Do not exceed three simultaneous keystrokes.
• Use a plus (+) sign to indicate that two or more keys must be pressed at the same time.
• Accelerators should have some associative value to the item.
• Identify the keys by their actual key top engraving.
• If keyboard terminology differences exist, use:
  • The most common keyboard terminology.
  • Terminology contained on the newest PCs.
• Separate the accelerator from the item description by three spaces.
• Right-align the key descriptions.
• Do not use accelerators for:
  • Menu items that have cascaded menus.
  • Pop-up menus. Use industry-standard keyboard accelerators