Title Bar

Contains the name of the window or dialog box.

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Menu Bar

Clicking each option in the menu bar reveals a drop-down list of menu items (not shown) designed by the application developer.

Each menu item triggers its own piece of application logic.

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Tool Bar

Optional element that may contain only push buttons for pieces of application logic.

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Status Bar

Optional element that displays information, typically about the status of the process.

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Scroll Bar

GUI scrolling device that allows the user to display information that is not visible on the screen.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

System Menu

Operating system menu under the icon on the top left corner of the window.

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Minimize Button

Shrinks the window to an icon on the desktop, where it can be maximized when you next need to view the window.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Maximize Button

Displays the window in the largest possible size, or in the size it was first opened, or last resized.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Check Box

Control that acts like a switch (on/off, yes/no, true/false, and so on).

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Group Box

Margin box drawn around a collection of logically related fields.

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

List Box

Control that displays a series of values as a list.

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Entry Field

Control into which the user types information.

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Field Prompt

Text label that identifies a selection or entry field.

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Literal

Text that is displayed but cannot be changed.

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Radio Button

Control that offers one choice from among a group of choices.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Push button

Control that performs an action immediately when it is selected.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Icon

Small bitmap picture that represents a minimized window on the desktop.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Bitmaps

Graphics used to distinguish push buttons and as literals or icons.

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

OLE Area

In Win32 applications, an embedded area that allows communication with other applications.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

OLE Custom Control (OCX)

In Win32 applications, an embedded control, such as a spin button.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No