RE: Pop-up Window vs. Dialog Box

["sbuckley" <sbuckley -at- onlinewriter -dot- com>]

It's always a good idea to remember your audience as well.  

If you are writing for a software developer, or possibly IT, it may be very
important for them to know the specific type of window/dialog box you are
discussing, such as pop-up or context menu.  

An audience that is not that technical tends to not care or would be
confused by such precise labeling. If you take a look at Help in Microsoft
end-user programs, such as Word 2003, you often see different terms for such
concepts. For example, "content menus" are referred to as "shortcut menus."

Also, if your audience is not technical but has used computers in the past,
you should consider not even bringing up the window and move them forward in
completing their task. This works best when the command used to open a
pop-up/dialog box/window matches the name of that object. For example, take
a look at the Word 2003 Help topic "Insert a field."

I'm mot trying to imply that the Microsoft way is the only way to go, but
since the MS Manual of Style came up I thought it would be helpful to
discuss examples of Help files created using that style manual.

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+sbuckley=onlinewriter -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sbuckley=onlinewriter -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Ed Wurster
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 5:20 PM
To: Keith Hansen
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Pop-up Window vs. Dialog Box

On 9/26/06, Keith Hansen <KRH -at- weiland-wfg -dot- com> wrote:

> The MS Manual of Style says the following: "Do not use pop-up window as
> a synonym for dialog box."

The first dialog box I recall was a print dialog on Mac OS. Those
dialog boxes were modal. You had to respond, or the program would not
continue. You couldn't interact with another program, or move the
modal dialog. Now, most dialogs are non-modal. You can move them
around, and so on. Also, dialogs have a title bar, and usually contain
response buttons, like OK or Cancel. There are also window controls.

Pop-ups appear due to some user interaction, like a right-click, or a
command click, or just a click. Right click on your desktop and you'll
see a pop-up. A context menu like that is a type of pop-up.

When you move the pointer over an object and something appears
(without a click), that is a tooltip.

> Well, as it happens, I have seen these two terms used interchangeably
> sometimes.  Can anyone clarify for me the exact difference between the
> two? With examples of the proper use of each?

MS describes it here: http://tinyurl.com/ht6rx ---

The programming pop-up preceded web pop-up windows. I think many users
today would associated pop-up with a bad thing, as Gene suggests.

Ed
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