Dialog Boxes
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The dialog box (also called dialogue box (non-U.S. English), message box or simply dialog) is a
graphical control element A graphical widget (also graphical control element or control) in a graphical user interface is an element of interaction, such as a button or a scroll bar. Controls are software components that a computer user interacts with through direct ...
in the form of a small window that communicates information to the user and prompts them for a response. Dialog boxes are classified as " modal" or "modeless", depending on whether they block interaction with the
software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
that initiated the dialog. The type of dialog box displayed is dependent upon the desired
user interaction Ancient Egyptian roles * User (ancient Egyptian official), an ancient Egyptian nomarch (governor) of the Eighth Dynasty * Useramen, an ancient Egyptian vizier also called "User" Other uses * User (computing), a person (or software) using an ...
. The simplest type of dialog box is the alert, which displays a message and may require an acknowledgment that the message has been read, usually by clicking "OK", or a decision as to whether or not an action should proceed, by clicking "OK" or "Cancel". Alerts are also used to display a "termination notice"—sometimes requesting confirmation that the notice has been read—in the event of either an intentional closing or unintentional closing ("
crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...
") of an application or the
operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
. (
E.g. Eg or EG may refer to: In arts and media * ''E.G.'' (EP), an EP by Goodshirt * ''EG'' (magazine), a journal dedicated to chess endgame studies * Eg White (born 1966), a British musician, songwriter and producer * E.G. Records, a music record l ...
, "
Gedit gedit ( or ) is a text editor designed for the GNOME desktop environment. It was GNOME's default text editor and part of the GNOME Core Applications until GNOME version 42 in March 2022, which changed the default text editor to GNOME Text E ...
has encountered an error and must close.") Although this is a frequent interaction pattern for modal dialogs, it is also criticized by
usability Usability can be described as the capacity of a system to provide a condition for its users to perform the tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently while enjoying the experience. In software engineering, usability is the degree to which a soft ...
experts as being ineffective for its intended use, which is to protect against errors caused by destructive actions, and for which better alternatives exist. An example of a dialog box is the about box found in many software programs, which usually displays the name of the program, its version number, and may also include
copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
information.


Modeless

''Non-modal'' or ''
modeless In user interface design, a mode is a distinct setting within a computer program or any physical machine interface, in which the same user input will produce perceived results different from those that it would in other settings. Modal interface ...
'' dialog boxes are used when the requested information is not essential to continue, and so the window can be left open while work continues elsewhere. A type of modeless dialog box is a
toolbar The toolbar, also called a bar or standard toolbar (originally known as ribbon) is a graphical control element on which on-screen icons can be used. A toolbar often allows for quick access to functions that are commonly used in the program. Some ...
which is either separate from the main application, or may be detached from the main application, and items in the toolbar can be used to select certain features or functions of the application. In general, good software design calls for dialogs to be of this type where possible, since they do not force the user into a particular mode of operation. An example might be a dialog of settings for the current document, e.g. the background and text colors. The user can continue adding text to the main window whatever color it is, but can change it at any time using the dialog. (This isn't meant to be an example of the ''best'' possible interface for this; often the same functionality may be accomplished by toolbar buttons on the application's main window.)


System modal

System modal dialog boxes prevent interaction with any other window onscreen and prevent users from switching to another application or performing any other action until the issue presented in the dialog box is addressed. System modal dialogs were more commonly used in the past on
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systems where only one application could be running at any time. One current example is the shutdown screen of current Windows versions.


Application modal

Modal dialog boxes temporarily halt the program: the user cannot continue without closing the dialog; the program may require some additional information before it can continue, or may simply wish to confirm that the user wants to proceed with a potentially dangerous course of action (
confirmation dialog box Confirmation dialog (sometimes called warning alert boxes) is a dialog box that asks user to approve requested operation. Usually this dialog appears before a potentially dangerous operation is performed (program termination, file deletion, etc.) ...
). Usability practitioners generally regard modal dialogs as bad design-solutions, since they are prone to produce
mode error In user interface design, a mode is a distinct setting within a computer program or any physical machine interface, in which the same user input will produce perceived results different from those that it would in other settings. Modal interface ...
s. Dangerous actions should be undoable wherever possible; a modal alert dialog that appears unexpectedly or which is dismissed automatically (because the user has developed a
habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
) will not protect from the dangerous action.
Aza Raskin Aza Raskin (born February 1, 1984) is the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and of the Earth Species Project. He is also a writer, entrepreneur, inventor, and interface designer. He is the son of Jef Raskin, a human–computer inte ...
, A List Apart
Never Use a Warning When you Mean Undo
/ref> A modal dialog interrupts the main
workflow A workflow consists of an orchestrated and repeatable pattern of activity, enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information. It can be depicted as a sequence of ...
. This effect has either been sought by the developer because it focuses on the completion of the task at hand or rejected because it prevents the user from changing to a different task when needed.


Document modal

The concept of a ''document modal'' dialog has recently been used, most notably in
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
and
Opera Browser Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
. In the first case, they are shown as ''sheets'' attached to a parent window. These dialogs block only that window until the user dismisses the dialog, permitting work in other windows to continue, even within the same application. In macOS, dialogs appear to emanate from a slot in their parent window, and are shown with a reinforcing animation. This helps to let the user understand that the dialog is attached to the parent window, not just shown in front of it. No work can be done in the underlying document itself while the dialog is displayed, but the parent window can still be moved, re-sized, and minimized, and other windows can be brought in front so the user can work with them: The same type of dialog box can be compared with the "standard" modal dialog boxes used in Windows and other operating systems. Similarities include: * the parent window is frozen when the dialog box opens, and one cannot continue to work with the underlying document in that window * no work can be done with the underlying document in that window. The differences are that * the dialog box may open anywhere in the parent window * depending on where the parent window is located, the dialog box may open virtually anywhere on screen * the dialog box may be moved (in almost all cases), in some cases may be resizable, but usually cannot be minimized, and * no changes to the parent window are possible (cannot be resized, moved or minimized) while the dialog box is open. Both mechanisms have shortcomings: * The Windows dialog box locks the parent window which can hide other windows the user may need to refer to while interacting with the dialog, though this may be mitigated since other windows are available through the
task bar A taskbar is an Graphical user interface elements, element of a graphical user interface which has various purposes. It typically shows which computer program, programs are currently running. The specific design and layout of the taskbar varies be ...
. * The macOS dialog box blocks the parent window, preventing the user from referring to it while interacting with the dialog. This may require the user to close the dialog to access the necessary information, then re-open the dialog box to continue.


See also

*
Application posture The term application posture characterizes the nature of a software application's interaction with its user. The term was coined by Alan Cooper, who characterized four 'postures' for applications: sovereign, transient, daemonic and parasitic. * A ...


References

{{Graphical control elements Graphical control elements