// Apple HIG guidance for menu and button components including menus, context menus, dock menus, edit menus, the menu bar, toolbars, action buttons, pop-up buttons, pull-down buttons, disclosure controls, and standard buttons. Use this skill when the user says "how should my buttons look," "what goes in the menu bar," "should I use a context menu or action sheet," "how do I design a toolbar," or asks about button design, menu design, context menu, toolbar, menu bar, action button, pop-up button, pull-down button, disclosure control, dock menu, edit menu, or any menu/button component layout and behavior. Cross-references: hig-components-search, hig-components-controls, hig-components-dialogs.
Apple HIG guidance for menu and button components including menus, context menus, dock menus, edit menus, the menu bar, toolbars, action buttons, pop-up buttons, pull-down buttons, disclosure controls, and standard buttons. Use this skill when the user says "how should my buttons look," "what goes in the menu bar," "should I use a context menu or action sheet," "how do I design a toolbar," or asks about button design, menu design, context menu, toolbar, menu bar, action button, pop-up button, pull-down button, disclosure control, dock menu, edit menu, or any menu/button component layout and behavior. Cross-references: hig-components-search, hig-components-controls, hig-components-dialogs.
Apple HIG: Menus and Buttons
Check for .claude/apple-design-context.md before asking questions. Use existing context and only ask for information not already covered.
Key Principles
Menus should be contextual and predictable. Standard items in standard locations. Follow platform conventions for ordering and grouping.
Use standard button styles. System-defined styles communicate affordance and maintain visual consistency. Prefer them over custom designs.
Toolbars for frequent actions. Most commonly used commands in the toolbar. Rarely used actions belong in menus.
Menu bar is the primary command interface on macOS. Every command reachable from the menu bar. Toolbars and context menus supplement, not replace.
Context menus for secondary actions. Right-click or long-press, relevant to the item under the pointer. Never put a command only in a context menu.
Pop-up buttons for mutually exclusive choices. Select exactly one option from a set.
Pull-down buttons for action lists. No current selection; they offer a set of commands.
Action buttons consolidate related actions behind a single icon in toolbars or title bars.
Disclosure controls for progressive disclosure. Show or hide additional content.
Dock menus: short and focused on the most useful actions when the app is running.
