What is a dialog box?

In the basis of almost any operating system (OS) is the ability to manage windows. They are a rectangular area of the screen where this or that information is displayed. Windows can be opened, closed, as well as minimized, expanded, resized. In the open form, they can occupy both the entire screen and its very small area. If the windows are minimized, they will be displayed in the taskbar as buttons: click the one you need, everything will unfold again.

There are four types of windows:

1) software - they run all programs and applications loaded into the OS memory;

2) windows drives and folders, which help to see the entire file structure on the disks;

3) secondary - a window where the documents created in the programs are displayed;

4) dialog boxes. It is about them, also called query windows, that will be discussed later.

So, they appear in the process of working with the OS and its applications and are located on top of other windows on your screen. They contain a request for information that interests the user, or confirm his actions. The dialog box can not be resized or minimized, it can only be closed. It can close automatically after it has responded to the request, or forcibly, that is, with one click on the close button. To answer the query in full, the windows have a variety of buttons and fields.

By types, they are divided into modal ones, which block the work with the document or application (for example, for entering various parameters or setting the user aware of the operation), and modelesses that do not stop the work and allow them to return to them as needed (for example, windows Help system or the "Assistant" command).

Let's consider in more detail the elements of the dialog box: depending on what its functions are, the set of tools can vary in a fairly wide range. But most of these funds can be clearly classified. So, typical elements are:

1) command buttons ("OK", "Save", "Cancel", "Default", etc.) - pressing them leads to accepting or canceling the selected parameters, and closes the dialog box;

2) the tabs indicate that the window you requested contains several pages containing the information or settings you are interested in;

3) the switches are empty white squares designed to select one or more of the options;

4) switches allow you to select only one necessary mode of several, mutually exclusive;

5) the input field allows you to enter some information into the dialog box by typing it on the keyboard (for example, the name of a file or folder);

6) the list field contains a collapsed list of something, and you can expand it by clicking on the next button with the arrow. After you make your choice by clicking on the item you need, the list will automatically collapse, displaying what you have selected in its field;

7) the slider (sliding button) is used to increase or decrease one or another numerical value of the field by its moving method;

8) the "Sample" field is intended for previewing all changes made to the object to be repaired;

9) contextual help is invoked with the help of the button with the same name: first you need to click on it, and then on the item that you do not know: you will get detailed information about it.

These were the main elements that this or that dialog box contains in itself most often. Using and understanding them correctly, you will greatly facilitate your work with the computer and will be able to independently set all the necessary settings.