Components of an Application Window
An application window includes elements such as a title bar, a menu bar, the
window menu (formerly known as the system menu), the minimize button, the
maximize button, the restore button, the close button, a sizing border, a client
area, a horizontal scroll bar, and a vertical scroll bar. An application's main
window typically includes all of these components. The following illustration
shows these components in a typical main window.
The
title bar displays an application-defined icon and line of text; typically, the text
specifies the name of the application or indicates the purpose of the window. An
application specifies the icon and text when creating the window. The title bar
also makes it possible for the user to move the window by using a mouse or
other pointing device.
Most applications include a
menu bar that lists the commands supported by the application. Items in the menu bar
represent the main categories of commands. Choosing an item from the menu bar
typically opens a pop-up menu whose items correspond to the tasks within a given
category. By selecting a command, the user directs the application to carry out
a task.
The
window menu is created and managed by Windows. It contains a standard set of menu items
that, when chosen by the user, set a window's size or position, close the
application, or perform tasks. For more information about menus and the window menu,
see
Menus.
When you click the maximize or minimize button, this affects the size and
position of the window. When the user clicks the
maximize button, Windows enlarges the window to the size of the screen and positions the
window, so it covers the entire desktop, minus the taskbar. At the same time,
Windows replaces the maximize button with the restore button. The
restore button is a bitmap that, when clicked, restores the window to its previous size and
position.
When the user clicks the
minimize button, Windows reduces the window to the size of its taskbar button, positions the
window over the taskbar button, and displays the taskbar button in its normal
state. To restore the application to its previous size and position, click its
taskbar button.
The
sizing border is an area around the perimeter of the window that enables the user to size
the window by using a mouse or other pointing device.
The
client area is the part of a window where the application displays output, such as text
or graphics. For example, a desktop publishing application displays the current
page of a document in the client area. The application must provide a function,
called a window procedure, to process input to the window and display output
in the client area. For more information about window procedures, see
Window Procedures.
The
horizontal scroll bar and
vertical scroll bar convert mouse or keyboard input into values that an application uses to shift
the contents of the client area either horizontally or vertically. For
example, a word-processing application that displays a lengthy document typically
provides a vertical scroll bar to enable the user to page up and down through the
document.
The title bar, menu bar, window menu, minimize and maximize buttons, sizing
border, and scroll bars are referred to collectively as the window's
nonclient area. Windows manages most aspects of the nonclient area; the application manages
everything else about the window. In particular, the application manages the
appearance and behavior of the client area.
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