135415 - `Search the Web...' menu item is missing its ellipsis

Status: VERIFIED INVALID

(SeaMonkey :: Search, defect)

Description

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

Build: 2002040303, Mac OS 9.2

To reproduce:
1.  Open the `Tools' menu.
2.  Look at either of the `Search the Web...' items.

What you see:
*   `Search the Web'

What you should see:
*   `Search the Web...'

This is just a silly mistake, but in case anyone isn't familiar with the rule: 
The labels for any non-toolbar-button controls (including menu items) should 
end in an ellipsis, if the command described in the label always requires more 
information from the user before it is carried out. (`Puts up a confirmation 
alert' does not count as `requires more information', and `requires more 
information' doesn't always involve opening a new window or dialog.) The 
`Search the Web...' item takes you to a Web page, but once you're there, you 
still haven't searched the Web; you need to enter some search terms on the page 
and hit Search. That is, you need to provide more information. Therefore, the 
item should have an ellipsis.

Comment 1

[:deanis74]

Not necessarily.  You could take "Search the web" to mean "Open a web search
page", which is completed by selecting the menu item.  This is similar to Edit >
Preferences, which doesn't have an ellipsis even though no editing has actually
been performed.

Comment 2

[rossi]

Attachment: patch

s/Search the Web/Search the Web.../

Comment 3

[:deanis74]

Further to my comment 1, I think we should leave it without the ellipsis. 
Adding it makes it appear as though some confirmation will be required before
the search page is opened up.

Comment 4

[Jesse Ruderman]

Before reading this bug, I thought an ellipsis meant "brings up a dialog or does
something modal", and assumed "Properties" was an exception.  I don't know how
many users think what I thought or how many other apps use your definition, so I
don't know whether "Search the Web..." would be more or less confusing (both
while someone uses Mozilla and when he goes back to use another app).

Comment 5

[rossi]

comment 1: it does not say "open a web search page", if it was that way, i would
agree to not use an ellipsis - and to use a bookmark =)
comment 4: i think we should stick to the rule, or change the rule, but i think
the rule is ok. and sticking to the rule means adding "..."

Comment 6

[Daniel Brooks [:db48x]]

Comment on attachment 77827 [details] [diff] [review]
patch

r=db48x

Comment 7

[Lori Kaplan]

The rule is a guideline which I wrote circa 1991, published in MHIG 1992. "The
ellipsis character after a menu item means that the command needs more
information from the user before the operation executes. ... The ellipsis
character is often misused to indicate a wide variety of behaviors. The only
time they should be used is to let the user know that a command will need more
information to execute, as opposed to a command that executes immediately with
no further information."  The section goes on to show a few examples of what is
correct usage of the ellipsis character. In the case being discussed here, I
believe that the command is to display the web page with the search engine
choices  that lets users decide which engine to use or to use the default. In
this case I believe it is inappropriate to use an ellipsis because the page
appears without further intervention from the user.  

Comment 8

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

I don't want to argue with the creator of the spec :) (wow!), but for me, a
network request is already a significant action ("operation") for itself.

Comment 9

[Ben Bucksch (:BenB)]

BTW: "MHIG" seems to be "Macintosh Human Interface Guideline"

Comment 10

[:deanis74]

Ben, that's not arguing, that's agreeing.  You're both saying that the menu item
shouldn't have an ellipsis.

Comment 11

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

> In the case being discussed here, I believe that the command is to display the
> web page

That would be an example of task-directed design (display a search page) as
opposed to goal-directed design (search the Web). In that case, the item should
be renamed to `Display Search Page'.


(Don't panic, I'm joking.)

Comment 12

[:deanis74]

Based mostly on comment 7 from the author of the rulem, this should be marked
INVALID.  Slight problem, though, being that the fix for bug 135204 added this
ellipsis.

Comment 13

[Christopher Aillon (sabbatical, not receiving bugmail)]

It appears that the ellipses have been removed from 'Search the Web'.  Resolving
this bug then.

Comment 14

[:deanis74]

v