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The differences between dialog boxes and
normal windows are:
- File Open and File Save As dialog boxes
usually are resizable, to let you vary the
number of files that they display. Most
other dialog boxes aren’t resizable.
- Some open dialog boxes won’t let you
keep working in their program until you
close them. You still can use other programs,
though.
- When you edit text in a dialog box, you
can’t use the Edit menu to cut, copy, and
paste, but you can use keyboard shortcuts
(Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V) or
right-click to use a shortcut menu.
- Use keyboard shortcuts to navigate dialog
boxes quickly (Table 1.6).
- A wizard is a series of interactive dialog
boxes that steps you through a complex
task (Figure 1.44).
- Windows uses a message box to notify
you of events or ask for a decision
(Figure 1.45).
Table 1.6
| Dialog-Box Keyboard Shortcuts |
| Press | To |
| Ctrl+Tab | Select the next tab |
| Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Select the previous tab |
| Tab | Select the next option |
| Shift+Tab | Select the previous option |
| Alt+underlined letter | Select the corresponding option or
click the corresponding button |
| Spacebar | Click a button, toggle a check box,
or choose an option button (if that
option is active) |
| Arrow keys | Select an item in an option-button
group or list, or move a slider |
| F1 | Display Help |
| F4 | Display list items |
| Enter | the dotted outline) or the default
button (with the shadow) |
| Esc | Click the Cancel button |
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Figure 1.43 Dialog boxes let you change settings by using buttons, check boxes, text boxes, lists, and other controls.
Figure 1.44 The purpose of each wizard page is stated
clearly at the top. Many pages have links that you can
click for help. The Back button is in the top-left corner.
Figure 1.45 Message boxes bring your program to a
halt. You must respond before the program can do
anything further.
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