I try to not regurgitate information found elsewhere too often, but this is one of the more frequently asked UI questions that I get that actually has a reasonably clean answer.
When do I use ellipsis on buttons and menu items?
A: When the item’s action requires additional information from the user to be completed.
For example, “Save As…” has ellipsis because in order to save, the user must input the file name to save to. “Save” does not have the ellipses because no confirmation is needed.
That one was easy.
How about “Properties”? No ellipses here, because clicking on the item will immediately perform the action of showing properties. Sure it does it in another dialog, but the dialog is actually the result of the item’s action.
Similarly, “Options” does not have ellipses, because it immediately displays the options to the user.
They get harder.
“Delete” or “Delete…”?
Hmm, the delete doesn’t happen right away if we prompt for confirmation. But then again, a confirmation prompt isn’t really asking for more information, it’s just confirming what the user already chose.
Apple’s offical stance on ellipses says that dangerous actions with confirmations should use them. A delete action seems dangerous enough.
Microsoft’s stance on ellipsis in Windows says to not use them for commands that may result in a confirming message box. Seems to apply here, though Microsoft’s wording is vague.
My own stance? I don’t see a confirmation as getting any additional information, it’s just there as a stopgap for accidental clicks on actions that you cannot undo. If the application can undo, then (like Apple suggests) you should probably avoid using pop-up confirmations in the first place. Either way, I would still just call it “Delete”.
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