Hover or popup tools
actions.hover_or_popup_tools
Associate an object with tools that appear on hover or as a pop-up rather than crowding the main chrome.
Description
Tools that apply to a specific object can appear on hover or in a pop-up tied to that object instead of crowding the main chrome. Stuffing occasional tools into persistent chrome wastes space and adds noise for people who rarely need them. Keep always-critical actions visible in lasting chrome; reserve hover or pop-up association for contextual, infrequent tools. The association should stay tied to the object so the tools feel local, not global.
When to use
Object-specific tools would clutter persistent main chrome if always shown.
Not when
Primary always-needed actions that belong in lasting visible chrome.
Agent hint
Attach occasional tools to the object via hover or pop-up, not main chrome.
Occasional object tools appear on hover or in a pop-up tied to the object; they are not stuffed into persistent chrome.
Occasional tools occupy the main chrome and crowd it.
Citations
Designing Interfaces 3e ch. Doing Things — Hover or Pop-Up Tools (Tidwell, Brewer, Valencia)
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/designing-interfaces-3rd/9781492051954/