Action buttons in menus

Lotus Notes checkpoint 2.1

Include all action buttons in the appropriate menu.

Rationale

Forms and views include action bars to display the actions available for use with that part of the application. The action bar is now keyboard accessible, but it can be a slow process to access the buttons with the keyboard. Generally speaking, keyboard access is faster through the Actions menu than through the Action bar. For this reason, all action buttons must also be available through the Actions or Create menu.

This checkpoint does not apply to Notes applications that are only available on the Web since the action bar is not supported on the Web.

Development techniques

The following technique is the minimum required to meet Checkpoint 2.1 from the Lotus Notes Application Accessibility Checklist:

Include all items in the Action bar in the appropriate action menu.

Open the Action Properties box and select the Action Info tab.
Select the option "Include action in Action menu". This option is the default setting.

Recommended techniques

The technique above is required; the following techniques are recommended to enhance accessibility:

Define meaningful shortcut keys for actions. Notes assigns a shortcut key to all actions in the Actions menu, but it may not be easy to remember. You can force the use of a specific shortcut key by typing an underscore before the letter you want to use. Each shortcut letter in the list must be unique. The underline is not displayed on the action bar. For example, to make S the shortcut key for the Save & Close action, type _Save & Close in the name field as shown in the screen shot below.
If the action list is long, place frequently used actions at the top of the list. Actions are displayed in the Actions menu in alphabetical order. Someone using the keyboard or a screen reader must search the list in sequential order. If the most common action is the last one in the list, this can be tedious. Force the names to appear in a different order by numbering the frequently used actions so they appear at the top of the list.

Testing techniques

Test the Web site to ensure that it complies with accessibility requirements.

Tools

No tools are required to test this checkpoing.

Techniques

The following techniques are required to verify this checkpoint:
	Action	Result
1.	Visually verify all actions are available in the Action Menu. If the action opens a view, verify there is a view with the same name listed in the View menu. Verify the view may be accessed by using View-Goto if the view is not specifically listed in the View menu. If the action creates a document, verify there is an action in the Create or Actions menu with the same name. If the action runs an agent, verify there is an action in the Actions menu with the same name as the action button. Some common system actions such as Expand or Collapse sections may be in the Edit or View menu instead of the Actions menu. Other common actions such as Close have keyboard equivalents (pressing Escape). If the Close button does not perform additional function, the user can press Escape instead of accessing the Close button and the application is still accessible.	Pass: All actions are available through the appropriate item in the Action or Create menu. Fail: One or more actions are only available through the action bar.

Last updated February 08, 2008.

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