The choices element serves these primary purposes:

• Organizing sets of mutually exclusive options in a simple list format

• Providing a compact presentation of alternative actions within a single step of a task

• Guiding users through decision points with clearly defined options

Key characteristics of the choices element:

• An optional element that must be added within a step element

• Must follow a cmd element that introduces the choices

• Must contain two or more choice elements

• Is intended for simple options where each choice triggers a single action

• Is simpler and more compact than a choicetable, which is used for more complex options

A choices element consists of these components:

Choice (choice)

The required element that represents a single option the user can select. Each choice typically contains a brief description of the option and the action to perform if that option is selected. Multiple choice elements form a list of alternatives.

The content of each choice element may include:

• A brief description of the option

• The action to perform if that option is selected

• Optionally, the expected result

Content within the choices element typically follows these output formatting rules:

• The choices list appears after the command that introduces it

• Choices appear as a vertical list of options, typically with bullets

• Each choice is presented as a single item in the list

• Choices may be indented under the parent step or aligned with other step components

Choices best practices:

• Use for presenting a set of mutually exclusive options within a single step

• Use when each option triggers only one action, otherwise use choicetable

• Use to present options in a compact, easy-to-scan format

<task id="task-5044">
    <title>Selecting a Display Mode</title>
    <shortdesc>Choose a display mode for the MobileView dashboard that best suits your working environment.</shortdesc>
    <prolog>
        <author translate="no" type="creator">Heretto User &lt;user@heretto.com&gt;</author>
    </prolog>
    <taskbody>
        <context>
            <p>MobileView offers several view modes to optimize visibility and usability in different lighting conditions and environments. You can change the view mode at any time from the <uicontrol>View</uicontrol> menu.</p>
        </context>
        <steps>
            <step>
                <cmd>Click <menucascade><uicontrol>View</uicontrol><uicontrol>Display Mode</uicontrol></menucascade>.</cmd>
            </step>
            <step>
                <cmd>Select one of these display modes:</cmd>
                <choices>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>Light Mode</uicontrol> for standard display with a white background and dark text, ideal for normal office lighting.</choice>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>Dark Mode</uicontrol> for reduced eye strain in low-light environments with a dark background and light text.</choice>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>High Contrast</uicontrol> for maximum readability with enhanced contrast between elements, ideal for outdoor use or accessibility needs.</choice>
                    <choice>Select <uicontrol>Auto</uicontrol> to let  MobileView to switch automatically between light and dark modes based on your system settings.</choice>
                </choices>
            </step>
            <step>
                <cmd>Click <uicontrol>Apply</uicontrol> to save your display preferences.</cmd>
            </step>
        </steps>
    </taskbody>
</task>