Windows Menus

Windows menus are used to tell the Windows operating system what functions the user wants to perform. They can also be used to execute operations in Windows-based applications. Some of the labels that commonly appear on a Windows menu include:
1. File
2. Edit
3. View
4. Help

Clicking on one of the labels that is displayed on the Windows menu generally reveals a submenu. This additional set of options is commonly referred to as a pull-down menu. The items located on the pull-down menu have generally been grouped together because they have some similar functionality.

Most Windows menus can be configured so that only the active functions can be selected from it. When set up in this manner, the labels that represent those functions that are not available will appear ghosted or grayed-out. In addition to labels, images and icons can also be displayed on Windows menus and submenus.

Inserting Windows Menus in Applications

The structure of all Windows menus tends to conform to the same basic standard. As a result, computer users have become rather familiar with them. Therefore in an effort to make their software products more user-friendly, developers are inclined to insert menus structured in the Windows format into their own applications.

There are several commercial software packages available to developers, which can assist them in incorporating Windows menus in their applications. In addition to use with Windows-based applications, there are products that are specifically designed for installing the menus in web-based applications as well. Because most users of computers have become so comfortable with the structure of Windows menus, developers would be remiss if they did not take advantage of one of these tools.