= User Interface Guidelines =
When designing user interfaces for EwE you should try to adhere the following implementation guidelines:

== Overall Structure ==
 * Triple-dots after a command (…) should only pull up a dialogues, i.e. New Scenario...
 * Spelling: Ecopath, Multi-stanza??? QB etc
 * Always use wait cursors and status bar messages for lengthy operations
 * All texts should be specified in resources, NEVER in the code

== Placement of commands ==
 * Module commands, e.g. commands that apply to more than one form, are accessible from the menu.
 * Commands that apply to ONE interface only shoud be placed on a toolbar above their form.
 * Module commands may be repeated in the toolbar above a form if this aids functionality

== Menu Structure ==
 * Every word should be capitalized, except for prepositions and conjunctions
 * Every menu item should have a keyboard shortcut
 * Module-wide command should be present in specific module menu structure i.e. edit group, edit fleet

== Forms ==
 * Forms should have toolbars for native commands, i.e. diet comp – Sum to one.
 * All configuration forms should be based on Ecospace parameters layout
 * All configuration forms have scroll bars when too small to fit in docking area (see Ecospace parameters AutoScroll setting)
 * Every form should be resizable; every control should have its anchors properly set (see Ecospace parameters)
 * All controls should be consistently aligned and spaced (see Ecospace parameters)
 * All controls should be accessible via the [TAB] key in an intuitive order
 * Use of form icons should be consistent with the menu item that invoked the form
 * There may be no usage instructions on forms or form toolbars; all help text moves to the manual
 * Grids should be accompanied by the quick-edit toolbar to export content to CSV for all grids, and read from CSV and set option to input grids only
 * Maps should have the quick-edit toolbar to export content to CSV for all maps, and read from CSV for input maps only
 * Graphs should have the floating toolbar to zoom in, zoom out and reset zoom, and export to CSV
 * Try to refrain from using Group boxes unless strictly necessary. Controls should be grouped using the standard EwE headers when possible (see Ecopath parameters)

== Dialogues ==
 * Should be smaller than 600x400 800x600
 * Every dialog must have default buttons assigned that consume [ENTER] and [ESC] keystrokes (Accept_button = OK or similar, Cancel_button = Cancel) JS: [ENTER] rule dropped because 1) Grid edit controls need [ENTER] to commit and 2) [ENTER] is too easily pressed. However, [CANCEL] should be quickly accessible
 * All controls should be consistently aligned and spaced (see Options dialogue)
 * All controls should be accessible via the [TAB] key in an intuitive order (see Options dialogue)
 * All controls should have an intuitive and preferrably unique shortcut key (see Options dialogue). This excludes default buttons (see above), default buttons never have keyboard shortcuts other than [ENTER] and [ESC]
 * Only Ok/Cancel/Apply buttons should have three dimensional borders JS: rule dropped; following Windows guidelines
 * Dialogs may not have a title bar icon
 * Dialogs may be resizable
 * There may be no usage instructions on forms or form toolbars; all help text moves to the manual
 * Title bar should have the same text as invoking menu item

== Grids ==
 * Ability to select range ([SHIFT] click), row, column or all
 * Read-only cells should not be modified on delete/backspace/paste
 * If grid shows indexed items such as group/fleets it must display an index column.

== Navigation ==
 * Only navigation tree leafs should invoke pages
 * Only master nodes should be written in bold font JS: rule dropped; following Windows guidelines
 * Capitalize only on the first word of tree item texts

== Toolbars ==
 * Caps only on the first word
 * Shortcut keys available
 * Toolbars in EwE cannot be docked and undocked, and should not display a grip indicator
 * Toolbars in EwE should not show repeated separators without controls in between

== Values ==
 * Whenever an indexed item is displayed by name, the item index must be displayed as well
 * All number formatting should follow the number of decimal digits and thousands separator settings as configured by the user
 * All values display should follow the colour coding settings as configured by the user