context-sensitive menu
<operating system> A menu which appears in response to a user action
(typically a mouse click) and whose contents are determined by which application
window was clicked or has the input focus.
Most GUIs use a secondary mouse button (right or middle) to call up a
context-sensitive menu as the primary mouse button is normally used to interact
with objects which are already visible.
The context-sensitive menu often contains functions that are also available in a
menu bar but the context-sensitive menu provides quick access to a subset of
functions that are particularly relevant to the window area clicked on.
The RISC OS WIMP uses only context-sensitive menus (always invoked using the
middle mouse button). This saves screen space and reduces mouse movement
compared to a menu bar.
(1999-09-22)
Nearby terms:
context « context clash « context-free «
context-sensitive menu » context switch »
Contextually Communicating Sequential Processes »
continental drift
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