User interface glossary

Windows was designed so that off-putting, difficult-to-remember commands that had to be typed in manually would no longer be needed. Instead, it is a graphical interface that includes elements you can click on, in order to perform their assigned tasks. Each kind of button his its own precise name which is often necessary to know.

Icons

Icons are small graphical elements which are associated with an application that will be launched if you double-click on them.

Tabs

Tabs are elements that create a menu: Depending on which tab you choose, different contents will be displayed in the window.

Radio buttons and checkboxes

Radio buttons let you choose from a list of possibilities, only one of which may be selected at a time.

Checkboxes let you choose from two possibilities: Checking the box might mean YES, while leaving the box unchecked would mean NO.

Text boxes

Text boxes are areas that, when clicked on, display a cursor to prompt you to enter text. They are often accompanied by a button that, when clicked on, confirms the text you have entered. Simply pressing the "Enter" key" after typing in the box has the same effect.

Last update on Thursday October 16, 2008 02:43:14 PM.This document entitled « Icons and windows in Windows » from Kioskea (en.kioskea.net) is made available under the Creative Commons license. You can copy, modify copies of this page, under the conditions stipulated by the licence, as this note appears clearly.