Back to Home Page of CD3WD Project or Back to list of CD3WD Publications

Creating Learning Networks for African Teachers

UNESCO PROJECT (Contract No. 408.302.9)

Home | Computer Literacy | Common Applications | Pedagogy & Internet | Infrastructure Guide

Background

Computer Literacy
Introduction
Windows Basic
Windows Properties
Windows Objects
Links

Common Applications
Presentations
Spreadsheets
Databases
Word Processing
Html Editors

Pedagogy &
Internet

E-mail
Listservs
WWW
Collaborative Projects

Managerial use of ICT
Mail Merge
School Budget
Grade Book

Infrastructure Guide

COMPUTER LITERACY

WINDOWS OBJECTS AND COMPONENTS

Text boxes

Text boxes allow you to enter text information. To enter text first click inside the text area using the mouse,and the cursor will change to a vertical flashing bar | showing you that text can now be entered.
In this image, a text box allows the user to specify a file to find on the computer. The name of the text box entry field is called Named:


Radio buttons 

Radio buttons allow users to select one of a number of options from a selection. In the following image, a choice between Tiled and Centered is offered. A radio button is anabled when there is a black dot in its center. A radio button is disabled when it is empty. To anable a radio button, simply click once on it. To disable a radio button that is anabled, simply click once on it ; it works like a toggle switch.


In the diag. above the choice opening an existing database is selected



Check boxes 

Check boxes allow users to select one or more options from a selection. In the following image, the options show taskbar startup options. Always on top and show clock are anabled.


Dialog boxes

Dialog boxes allow you to make choices and enter data. They combine text boxes with radio buttons and check boxes.

To close a dialog box press the ESC key. The Run dialog box anables you run a program, orr open a folder document or Internet resource. To access it, go to  Start ->  Run . It appears as below:


Close it.

List boxes

List boxes present a number of choices. you selet one by double-clicking on the item you want. Often the list of choices is in a scrollable window box. In this example, the Help dialog box of windows lists a number of help topics that the user can double click on to reveal the help associated with that item.


Drop down list boxes


To minimise the amount of screen space, list boxes can sometimes be arrranged as a drop down list box.this displays a single item, but when the list is clicked on, the range of items pops up in a secondary window. A drop down list box is listed below. In this example, it is part of the dialog box associated with the display properties.

Notice the symbol  at the end of the box.clicking on this symbol reveals the list of options.

Tab controls

Tab controls allow a number of different dialog boxes associated with a device to be prevented as a single combined control. For instance,if we looked at the screen display in windows, ther are so many things that can be changed, like screen saver,wall paper,size and resolution,video display driver and so on.

Putting all of these on a single dialog box is cumbersome and there is just not enough screen real estate. So, a number of dialog boxes are used, but they are combined using the tab control. It looks like multiple sections, and each tab has a heading.
Clicking on the tab item reveals the dialog box associated with that tab.

In this example, the tab control for the Windows desktop properties is displayed. Note there are FOUR distinct dialog boxes; the current choice is Screen Saver.



Previous: Window properties

Home | Computer Literacy | Common Applications | Pedagogy & Internet | Infrastructure Guides |Background