Designing the Graphical User Interface › Guidelines for Window and Dialog Box Design › Tool Bars

Tool Bars

A tool bar is an optional window element that provides quick and convenient access to frequently used choices and commands through push buttons. The tool bar is also used to invoke sub-applications within the application.

In CA Gen, tool bars are defined for windows only and not for dialog boxes.

The use of a tool bar is optional. Deciding whether to use a tool bar on a window should be based on how much space there is available and how the tool bar affects the overall appearance of a window's design.

The following list explains guidelines for tool bars:

• Use a toolbar for all frequently used operations to reduce the number of mouse moves and clicks the user must complete.
• Use micro help for all bitmaps on the toolbar.
• Always place tool bar near the top of the window.
• Use the tool bar in conjunction with a menu bar.
• The actions represented on the toolbar should also appear as menu items on the menu bar.
• Size the tool bar based on its contents.

More information:

Bitmaps