ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 11581-3
First edition
2000-04-01
Information technology — User system
interfaces and symbols — Icon symbols
and functions —
Part 3:
Pointer icons
Technologies de l'information — Interfaces pour système utilisateur et
symboles — Symboles et fonctions d'icônes —
Partie 3: Icônes de pointeurs
Reference number
ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2000

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000(E)
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but shall not
be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In downloading this
file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat accepts no liability in this
area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation parameters
were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In the unlikely event
that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.
© ISO/IEC 2000
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO's member body
in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 � CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 734 10 79
E-mail copyright@iso.ch
Web www.iso.ch
Printed in Switzerland
ii © ISO/IEC 2000 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission)
form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC
participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the
respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees
collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
Draft International Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this part of ISO/IEC 11581 may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard ISO/IEC 11581-3 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information
technology, Subcommittee SC 35, User interfaces.
ISO/IEC 11581 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — User system
interfaces and symbols — Icon symbols and functions:
— Part 1: Icons — General
— Part 2: Object icons
— Part 3: Pointer icons
— Part 4: Control icons
— Part 5: Tool icons
— Part 6: Action icons
© ISO/IEC 2000 – All rights reserved iii

---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000(E)
Introduction
Pointers are those icons that are used to indicate a focus within a system or application. Subsequent actions at the
focus may position, select or manipulate other screen objects. Users typically manipulate pointer icons by
controlling a mouse or other input device, but keyboard input may also be used to control the pointer icon. Systems
also use pointer icons to reflect a change in status. This part of ISO/IEC 11581 specifies the presentation and
operation of pointer icons for indicating, selecting, or manipulating objects on a screen.
iv © ISO/IEC 2000 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000(E)
Information technology — User system interfaces and symbols —
Icon symbols and functions —
Part 3:
Pointer icons
1 Scope
ISO/IEC 11581 applies to icons that are shown on a screen, that users can manipulate and interact with, and that
represent data or computer system functions. This part of ISO/IEC 11581 addresses only pointer icons. Pointers
are icons that are logically attached to a physical input device, and that the user manipulates to interact with other
screen elements, see ISO/IEC 11581-1. This part describes user interaction with and appearance of pointer icons
on the screen. It also specifies how pointer icons on a screen change appearance to give users feedback. Other
types of icons are covered in other parts of the standard that are listed in the Foreword.
2 Conformance
A system, application, or set of one or more icons conforms to this part of ISO/IEC 11581 if all pointer icons
available to the user in the system or application conform to 6.1 and clause 7 of this part of ISO/IEC 11581, and to
clause 5 and subclause 6.1 of ISO/IEC 11581-1:2000.
3 Normative reference
The following normative document contains provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this part of ISO/IEC 11581. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these
publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this part of ISO/IEC 11581 are encouraged to
investigate the possibility of applying the most recent edition of the normative document indicated below. For
undated references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC
maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
ISO/IEC 11581-1:2000, Information technology — User system interfaces and symbols — Icon symbols and
functions — Part 1: Icons — General.
4 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this part of ISO/IEC 11581, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 11581-1 and
ISO/IEC 11581-2, and the following apply.
4.1
cursor
special indicator used for text manipulation to mark the active position
NOTE 1 ISO/IEC 10741-1, Information technology — User system interfaces — Dialogue interaction — Part 1: Cursor
control for text editing, deals with cursor control.
NOTE 2 A cursor is not a pointer icon, and both a cursor and a pointer icon can be available and visible at the same time.
© ISO/IEC 2000 – All rights reserved 1

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
ISO/IEC 11581-3:2000(E)
4.2
gain
ratio of absolute motion of the pointer icon on the screen to absolute motion of the input device as applied by the
user
4.3
hot spot
portion of a pointer icon, typically a single pixel, that identifies for both the system and the user where on the screen
the next action may occur, and that allows interaction with other system objects
4.4
pointing device
input device that enables user control of the pointer icon
NOTE It may be an indirect pointing device such as a mouse or a track ball, or a direct pointing device such as a stylus or
a touch screen.
5 Pointer icon functions
Pointer icon functions include indicating, selecting, and manipulating. Mechanisms to differentiate among these
functions include clicking on a mouse button, and pressing a keyboard key. Cancellation of the selection may be
implemented by similar actions.
5.1 Indicating function
The indicating function provides the user with the capability of indicating a location on the screen. The purpose of
the indicating function is to identify for the user and the system where the next user interaction, such as selecting
an icon or choosing an option from a menu, could occur.
5.2 Selecting function
The selecting function provides the user with the capability of explicitly identifying an object(s) that is intended as a
target(s) for subsequent action. Selecting functions include selecting a single object, selecting multiple objects, and
selecting an area.
NOTE When a
...