Share via


Navigation

Each application typically consists of the following views: list view, summary view, and edit view.The following table describes the views and provides recommendations for using them.

View Description
List view When an application is first opened, the list view appears.

This view should be designed to provide summary information and access to more detailed information. Selecting an item in the list opens summary view.

Summary view The summary view displays information that is optimized for reading rather than editing.

When designing an application, use the summary view as a read-only, simplified display of the item.

Edit view The edit view appears when a new item is created, when the user chooses to edit an existing item, or when the user opens an item in an application that doesn't have a summary view.

When designing an application, optimize edit view for data entry, grouping related items and prioritizing more commonly edited items at the top of the screen.

Apart from the Home screen, the title bar for an application should always display the application title to provide context as a user navigates within an application. It should never change to include document names or wizard titles.

For more information about the Home screen, see Home Screen Component Display.

See Also

Home Screen Component Display

Navigation Keys

Last updated on Friday, April 22, 2005

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Send feedback on this topic to the authors.