Dialog Box Controls

The following sections discuss these controls.

Page Controls and Tabs

Some dialog boxes contain multiple pages of information. Each page typically contains a different set of controls. To access one of the pages, you click its tab- the visible protrusion at the top of the page. Some people including Microsoft sometimes refer to the pages as tabs, though this usage tends to be confusing. The Windows convention is for the tab to be placed at the top of the page, though some pro- grammers choose to place them at the bottom or at one of the sides of the pages for special effects.

Label Controls

Labels are used to display text in dialog boxes. Typically, labels are static, though some dialog boxes use labels that you can change, either by clicking the label or by clicking a button associated with the label.

List Box Controls

A list box contains a number of items that typically are related. Most list boxes are configured so that you can choose only one of their items, but some list boxes are configured so that you can select multiple items.

Drop-Down List Controls

A drop-down list control provides a number of preset values presented via the list that you can access by clicking the down-arrow button. Some drop-down lists also let you enter a new value by typing into the text box. The formal name for the latter type of drop-down list controls is combo boxes because they combine a text box and a list box.

Group Box Controls

The group box control is a visual aid for grouping other controls into logical sets. The formal name for a group box control is frame. For example, you’ll find option buttons or check boxes arranged into group boxes to make clear that they belong together.

Option Button Controls

Option buttons also called radio buttons are groups of buttons of which only one can be chosen at any given time. The name radio button comes from a physical radio with a number of preset stations. When you choose one preset button, it cancels the other buttons, because the radio can play only one station at a time. Selecting an option button clears all other option buttons in the set.

Check Box Controls

Check boxes are widely used controls for turning options on and off, or for indicating that for multiple objects the item specified by the check box is on for some and off for the others. Most check boxes have two states: selected with a check mark in them and cleared without a check mark in them. Clicking the check box toggles it from one state to the other. People use a variety of terms for describing what to do with check boxes, such as put a check in the check box or click to remove the check from the check box. For clarity, this article uses the phrases select a check box and clear a check box. If the check box in question is already in the state described, you don’t need to do anything. Some check boxes have a third state, in which the check box is selected but grayed out. This state, which technically is called a Null state and indicates that the check box contains no valid data, typically means that the option identified by the check box is on for part of the current selection. For example, in Microsoft Word, if you select three words, one of which has strikethrough formatting, and display the Font dialog box, the Strikethrough check box appears in a Null state, because it applies to part of the selection but not to all of it. Some Windows applications use check boxes instead of option buttons. This is poor practice that sends programmers into conniptions and frustrates many users.

Text Box Controls

A text box is a control in which you can enter and edit text. Text boxes often contain a default value that you can change if necessary or simply accept if it seems suitable.

Command Button Controls

A command button is a control that performs an action when you click it. For example, most dialog boxes contain a default action button for example, a Print command button in a Print dialog box or an OK command button in many dialog boxes to take the actions specified in the dialog box. Most dialog boxes contain a Cancel command button to cancel the actions specified in the dialog box and close the dialog box. This article refers to command buttons as buttons.

Closing a Dialog Box

When you’ve made changes in a dialog box, you typically need to close it to apply them. To close a dialog box and apply the changes you’ve made, click the default command button for example, an OK button, a Close button, or a Save button. To close a dialog box without applying the changes you’ve made in it, click the Cancel button. Some dialog boxes have an Apply button that you can click to apply your changes without closing the dialog box. This lets you make further changes before closing the dialog box.