Window Components

Window Operations

Secondary Windows

Controls
    Buttons
    Check Boxes
    List Boxes
    Text Fields
    Text Boxes
    Combo Boxes
    Other Controls...

Menus

Toolbars & Status Bars

Property Sheets

Dialog Boxes

Message Boxes

Palette Windows

Popup Windows

Check Boxes:

Like option buttons, check boxes support options that are either on or off; check boxes differ from option buttons in that you typically use check boxes for independent or nonexclusive choices. As in the case of independent settings in menus, use check boxes only when both states of the choice are clearly opposite and unambiguous. If this is not the case, then use option buttons or some other form of single selection choice control instead.

A check box appears as a square box with an accompanying label. When the choice is set, a check mark appears in the box. When the choice is not set, the check box is empty.

A check box's label is typically displayed as text and the standard control includes a label. (Use a command button instead of a check box when you need a nonexclusive choice with a graphic label.) Use a single line of text for the label as this makes the label easier to read. However, if you do use multiple lines, use top alignment, unless the context requires a different orientation.

Define a check box's label to appropriately express the value or effect of the choice. Use sentence capitalization for multiple word labels. The label also serves as an indication of when the control is unavailable.

Group related check box choices. If you group check boxes, it does not prevent the user from setting the check boxes on or off in any combination. While each check box's setting is typically independent of the others, you can use a check box's setting to affect other controls. For example, you can use the state of a check box to filter the content of a list. If you have a large number of choices or if the number of choices varies, use a multiple selection list box instead of check boxes.

When the user clicks a check box with mouse button 1 (for pens, tapping) either on the check box square or on the check box's label, that button is chosen and its state is toggled. When the user presses the mouse button, the input focus moves to the control and the check box assumes its pressed appearance. Like option buttons and other controls, if the user moves the pointer off the control while holding down the mouse button, the control's appearance returns to its original state. The setting state of the check box does not change until the mouse button is released. To change the control's setting, the pointer must be over the check box or its label when the user releases the mouse button.

Define access keys for check box labels to provide a keyboard interface for navigating to and choosing a check box. In addition, the TAB key and arrow keys can also be supported to provide user navigation to or between check boxes. In a dialog box, for example, the SPACEBAR toggles a check box when the input focus is on the check box.

If you use a check box to display the value for the property of a multiple selection whose values for that property differ (for example, for a text selection that is partly bold), display the check box in its mixed-value appearance.

If the user chooses a check box in the mixed-value state, the associated value is set and a check mark is placed in it. This implies that the property of all elements in the multiple selection will be set to this value when it is applied. If the user chooses the check box again, the setting to be unchecked is toggled. If applied to the selection, the value will not be set. If the user chooses the check box a third time, the value is toggled back to the mixed-value state. When the user applies the value, all elements in the selection retain their original value. This three-state toggling occurs only when the control represents a mixed set of values.