What Is a Windows Dialogue Box?
A dialog box is a temporary, separate window in a graphical user interface (GUI) that appears to either request information from a user or display information to a user. A Microsoft Windows dialog box provides or requests information about a Windows feature or program. Examples of Windows dialog boxes include the File Download dialog box, which appears when you are downloading files, and the Open dialog box, which appears when you are browsing for a file to open.
Note that error and warning messages are not Windows dialog boxes.
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Types of Windows Dialog Boxes
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Windows provides two types of dialog boxes: modal and modeless.
A modal dialog box is one that requires a user to do something before she can return to the program or Windows feature that she was using. The feature or program a user was using is essentially locked, and, until the user performs the necessary action that the dialog box requests, she cannot go back to using the feature or program.
A modeless dialog box is one that does not prevent a user from using the originating feature or program. A user can switch between the dialog box and feature or program without the dialog box interfering with tasks.
Multipage Windows Dialog Boxes
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Microsoft Windows can provide a multipage dialog box when there is a series of related dialog boxes. For example, a multipage dialog box can consist of an optional dialog box in which the user performs an action, a dialog box that displays the progress of the action and, finally, a dialog box that displays information about the results of the action.
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Elements of a Windows Dialog Box
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A typical Windows dialog box consists of the following elements:
Title bar: The title bar appears at the top of the dialog box and identifies from which Windows feature or program the dialog box originates.
Main instruction: The main instruction provides information about what the user is accomplishing or can accomplish with the dialog box. It may also provide an icon.
Content area: The content area provides further descriptive text and controls.
Command area: The command area contains buttons, such as "OK" or "Cancel," that the user clicks to complete the action requested by the dialog box.
Footnote area: The footnote area provides additional information and help to the user.
Common Windows Dialog Boxes
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Microsoft Windows common dialog boxes are: Open File, Save File, Open Folder, Find and Replace, Print, Page Setup, Font, and Color. These dialog boxes are used for one feature throughout multiple programs or system features---for example, the same Print dialog box appears whether a user is printing from Microsoft Word or Excel.
Usage Patterns of Windows Dialog Boxes
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Microsoft defines Windows dialog boxes as having these usage patterns:
Question dialog boxes (using buttons)---A question dialog box that uses buttons asks a user a question and prompts the user to provide a response by clicking a button.
Question dialog boxes (using command links)---A question dialog box that uses command links either asks a user a question or asks him to select an action to perform. This dialog box differs from a question dialog box that uses buttons because it may provide multiple responses or additional text to describe a response.
Choice dialog boxes---A choice dialog box provides options that a user can select and contains multiple questions or options.
Progress dialog boxes---A progress dialog box provides a progress bar that indicates how long an action is taking and also allows a user to cancel or stop the action.
Informational dialog boxes---An informational dialog box displays information that a user has selected to view.
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