Please change this menu item to somewhere else, Thank you.

[albertkinng]

I can't begin to express the number of times I accidentally click on 'Clear Menu', and chaos ensues. I implore you, please, just relocate it somewhere else. This small adjustment would bring enormous joy and significantly reduce frustration among all of us in the office.

[Bryan Rieger]

A BIG +1 on this from me.

[fde101]

Bad idea, at least on the Mac, because this is a standard macOS convention used by many other apps, both from Apple and from third parties.

If I create a new document-based SwiftUI application for macOS using Xcode, there is zero code or configuration in the application itself to even have an "Open Recent" menu at all, much less with a "Clear Menu" command, yet the framework creates it automatically, it is so inherent to the nature of a macOS application.

[albertkinng]

2 minutes ago, fde101 said:

Bad idea, at least on the Mac

I am a developer.

In the context of software development, particularly in reference to using Xcode which is an integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS, this phrase suggests flexibility in user interface design and control logic.

When designing a menu hierarchy in an application, it’s common to provide a set of options to the user. Xcode, like many other IDEs, has interface builder tools that often encourage or require developers to follow certain conventions, which might include having a default option in a menu.

However, if Xcode's constraints do not suit the specific requirements of your project, or if having a default option in a menu is not desired for the user experience you are aiming for, the phrase implies that you are not strictly bound by these constraints. You have the creative freedom to implement alternatives. You can design your program logic to handle menus and options in a different part of your application where you do not have to adhere to the same set of rules or constraints.

For example, you could:

1. Create a custom control or interface element that behaves as you require, bypassing the default behavior.
2. Implement a different kind of interaction pattern such as a context menu, popover, or a custom overlay that gets around the need for a default option.
3. Design your application logic to treat all options equivalently and delay setting a default value until it is logically required or selected by the user.

The key takeaway here is that as a developer, you're not strictly limited to the default behaviors provided by the development environment. Through custom programming, alternative design patterns, and sometimes a deeper understanding of the framework or toolkit you're using, you can craft a user experience that fits your vision, even when the default behavior of an IDE like Xcode seems to suggest otherwise.

[fde101]

5 minutes ago, albertkinng said:

The key takeaway here is that as a developer, you're not strictly limited to the default behaviors provided by the development environment.

True, and when developers leverage this ability to create arbitrary changes to apps which break with conventions that are standard to the environment, it almost always results in sub-standard applications which do not fit in with the rest of the environment.

A macOS user who is accustomed to finding that option in that location in that menu will look for it there in other applications as well.  Being the one application that makes them go hunting for it when it can be readily found in the same expected place everywhere else is not an act if kindness to your users.

[Bryan Rieger]

The 'Clear Menu' at the bottom under a separator is standard on macOS. The 'More…' isn't—and because it is directly under 'Clear Menu' I've inadvertently selected 'Clear Menu' when I intended to select 'More…'. The current design is very error prone, and as 'Clear Menu' doesn't prompt 'Are you sure?' it's very easy to clear all recent docs if you're not paying attention.

'Clear Menu' should stay, keeping in-line with macOS guidelines, but the 'More…' below it could use a rethink. As it's more of a visual browser of recent docs than just a listing, perhaps it should be hoisted from the 'Open Recent…' submenu to it's own 'File' menu item, possibly as 'Browse Recent…'? 

File

Open
Open Recent…
Browse Recent…

[v_kyr]

• https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/the-menu-bar

Further, macOS apps should follow the Apple guidelines here, especially if they are to be included into the Apple AppStore then.

[MikeTO]

If you often choose the wrong menu command you could access the More command by its keyboard shortcut. Or you could choose File > new and click Recent.

[Bryan Rieger]

Thanks. I never realized that 'Recent' was in the File -> New… dialog. I usually just type in whatever settings I need and ignore everything on the left.

[Pšenda]

Just for interest (although I don't claim that this is some unwritten "standard" for Win):

After click on Properties:

[Affinityconfusesme]

Similar thing on windows. we have a Clear button under more. I suggest that there should be some sort of confirmation before recent projects get cleared out.

[albertkinng]

1 hour ago, Bryan Rieger said:

The 'More…' isn't

You, at the very least, comprehend.

[albertkinng]

45 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

you could access the More command by its keyboard shortcut.

Thank you for drawing attention to things that we often overlook! Your insights are greatly appreciated!