Re: ARIA Drop Down and Combo button behavior

Hi Becky, 
here at SAP we have the following types of controls regarding such behaviors of buttons and collapsed lists: 
1. Pushbutton: triggers an action. done. 
2. Togglebutton: toggles a state. two states, pressed, unpressed. 
3. Menubutton: a button that offers a menu. a click on a button opens the menu. After a menu item was selected the menu closes and the button returns to unpressed state. Alt+Down to open the list is optional. 
4. Configurable Button: a button with two sections: the clickable area with the currently configured default action and a comboboxlike extra button to open the menu with the actions that can be used. Selecting one of the actions will change the button's default action but not trigger. To trigger the button face must be pressed. 
Space is used to trigger the button face and Alt+Down or the context menu is used to open the menu, mandatory. 
5. Dropdownlists: A combobox-like list where the user just selects one of the list items. The user cannot overtype and add new items. Typing works as "type ahead" so quickly get to the list item of interest. (See MS ListControls). Alt+Down to open the list. 
6. Combobox: A real combobox, where a list of values is proposed but other values can be added by keyboard. Keyboard input is first used to autocomplete, if it doesn't match existing values it is handled as new value. 
(See Microsoft Access comboboxes for the implementation with the best user experience and efficiency.) 
Alt+Down to open the list. 
Oliver Keim / Stefan Schnabel
Interaction Designer, User Interface Design Expert
SAP AG
Robert Bosch Str. 30
69190 Walldorf, Germany
T +49 6227 7-41522
F +49 6227 78-18394
mailto:oliver.keim@sap.com
www.sap.com


Dr. Stefan Schnabel 
Accessibility Expert
SAP User Experience Accessibility

SAP AG 
Dietmar-Hopp-Allee 16, 69190 Walldorf, Germany
T: +49 (6227) 7-65652
F: +49 (6227) 78-29877

mailto:stefan.schnabel@sap.com
www.sap.com
Sitz der Gesellschaft/Registered Office: Walldorf, Germany
Vorstand/SAP Executive Board: Henning Kagermann (Sprecher/CEO), Shai Agassi, Léo Apotheker, Werner Brandt, Claus Heinrich, Gerhard Oswald, Peter Zencke
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats/Chairperson of the SAP Supervisory Board: Hasso Plattner
Registergericht/Commercial Register Mannheim No HRB 350269

Diese E-Mail kann Betriebs- oder Geschäftsgeheimnisse oder sonstige vertrauliche Informationen enthalten. Sollten Sie diese E-Mail irrtümlich erhalten haben, ist Ihnen eine Kenntnisnahme des Inhalts, eine Vervielfältigung oder Weitergabe der E-Mail ausdrücklich untersagt.
Bitte benachrichtigen Sie uns und vernichten Sie die empfangene E-Mail. Vielen Dank.

This e-mail may contain trade secrets or privileged, undisclosed, or otherwise confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, you are hereby notified that any review, copying, or distribution of it is strictly prohibited. Please inform us immediately and destroy the original transmittal. Thank you for your cooperation.