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To me:
A "screen" is the full display area, that may contain more than one window. A
"screen" is part of the user's interface to the computer.
A "window" is a (usually framed) subarea of the screen that belongs to a
particular program and exists as long as that program is running. A "window" is
the user's main interface with a program on the computer.
A "dialog" is a sub-window that belongs to a particular program but exists only
as long as the user is using whatever function of the program is associated
with that dialog, e.g., a wordprocessor's dialog box for setting page margins.
A "dialog" is the user's interface to a particular feature/function of a
program.
What do other folk think? Particularly about the distinction between "screen"
(the monitor) and "screen" (what you see on the monitor). I try to use
"display" only as a verb, to reduce confusion.
JFOA.
David Jones, Technical Writer
David_Jones/KSBEISD -dot- KSBEISD -at- Datahub -dot- com
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From: mtownley @ CGRO.COM (Meredith Townley) @ Internet @ DATAHUB
Date: 08/06/96 10:37:57 AM
Subject: Naming conventions
There has been a small debate in the office over how "screens" should be =
referenced in the documentation. I'm curious as to what others call =
what I refer to as screens. The debate includes calling them screens, =
dialogs, and windows. What is the norm or proper term and are the three =
terms above the same?
Meredith Townley, Technical Writer
Mtownley -at- Cgro -dot- com
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