Monospace Design TUI Standard / Reference Surface
§3 Navigation Topology
§3.1 Navigation Pattern Decision Tree
Choose the navigation pattern based on the relationship between views:
| Relationship | Pattern | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel contexts (peer-level views) | Tabs or sidebar items | Region A list or tab bar |
| Hierarchical drill-down | Screens (push/pop) or in-place depth | New screen replaces content, or Region B/C deepens while frame remains stable |
| Transient confirmation or input | Modal dialog | Overlay with scrim |
| Contextual detail for selected item | Panel (split or overlay) | Region C or overlay pane |
Applications MUST NOT mix patterns for the same relationship type within a single workflow. When hierarchical drill-down is implemented in place rather than as full screen replacement, applications MUST preserve a visible back path and stable spatial anchors so users do not lose orientation.1 (CUA §1, M3 §3 navigation patterns, tui-architect navigation topology)
§3.2 Menu Hierarchy
Menus MUST follow a maximum three-level hierarchy:
- Action Bar — top row, ≤6 items.
- Pull-Down Menu — vertical list below action bar item, ≤10 items per menu.
- Cascaded Menu — extends to the right, indicated by
▸suffix, ≤1 level of cascading.
Applications MUST NOT cascade menus more than one level deep. (CUA §1 standard menu hierarchy)
§3.3 Action Bar Order
When an action bar is present, items MUST appear in this standard order (omitting inapplicable items):
File Edit View [Domain-specific] Options Help
FileandHelpMUST be present if the application has an action bar.- Domain-specific items (e.g.,
Models,Guardrails) appear betweenViewandOptions. - Maximum 6 top-level items.
(CUA §1)
§3.4 Unavailable Items
Menu items and controls that are currently unavailable MUST remain visible but rendered in the Disabled state (dim text, SGR 2). Unavailable items MUST NOT be hidden. This ensures users can discover features and understand why they are currently inaccessible. (CUA §1, Apple HIG §4)
§3.5 Ellipsis Convention
A menu item that will open a dialog requiring further user input before executing MUST display an ellipsis suffix (...). A menu item that executes immediately MUST NOT display an ellipsis. (CUA §1)
Stable spatial anchors and visible back paths support spatial memory in dense interfaces. See canonical layout guidance in Material Design and historical panel-based TUI conventions summarized in the research. ↩︎