Official Guidelines for User Interface Developers and Designers

Here are the revised and updated, official Microsoft® guidelines for creating well-designed, visually and functionally consistent user interfaces for applications that run on the Microsoft Windows® family of operating systems, including Windows 98 and Windows 2000. MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® USER EXPERIENCE is an essential handbook for all programmers and designers who work with the latest releases of Windows and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Topics covered include:

• Visual design effective use of color, layout, fonts, and graphics, including hyperlinks
• Menus, controls, and toolbars types, their components, and when to use them
• Integration with the operating system designing software so that its interface operates consistently with Windows and Internet Explorer
• User assistance how to use contextual forms of help, including tips, wizards, and HTML help
• General input techniques navigation, selection, viewing, editing, and creation, including both command and direct manipulation methods such as drag-and-drop
• Windows primary and secondary types and their components, including property sheets, dialog boxes, message boxes, palette windows, and pop-up windows
• Activation how to support design interfaces for linking and embedding, visual editing, and other forms of activation