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Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Check Box (Control)

Reference

Description

A check box is a control for displaying a value choice that has two clearly distinguishable states and may have a third, indeterminate state. If a selection contains elements that have two different states (for example, a text selection containing both bold and normal text), the check boxes can show an indeterminate state. You typically use check boxes in a group to provide a tab group of alternatives or to set options in an application. Check boxes are also known as check buttons.

Figure 4. Check Box.




View figure.

When to Use

Required
Use a check box to display an individual value choice that can be set to on or off.

Required
Use a group of check boxes for value choices that are not mutually exclusive and can each be set to on or off.

Recommended
Use a check box only if the user will clearly understand the meaning of the choice when it is set or unset. For example, provide a check box next to the Bold value choice to indicate that the selected text is rendered in a bold font.

Recommended
When a value choice is displayed in a menu other than an option menu and is part of a group of choices that are not mutually exclusive, use a check graphic to the left of the value choice to indicate whether it is set or unset. For information on bidirectional and vertical language support, see Chapter 11.

Guidelines

Recommended
When a user activates a check box from a group of check boxes, do not change the state of any other check boxes within the group.

Optional
Setting one check box in a group can override remaining check boxes; when the first check box is set, make the others unavailable. For example, a group of check boxes could have the labels Plain, Bold, Italic, and Underline. Setting Plain unsets the other check boxes.

Required
When a check box is initially displayed in a set or unset state, toggle only between those two values.

Required
When a check box is displayed in an indeterminate state, toggle from indeterminate to set to unset.

Required
When a check box represents a property shared by more than one selected element:

  1. Show it as set if all of the selected elements have that property turned on. For example, if all of the text in a text selection is bold, and a check box is used to indicate whether the selected text is bold, show the check box as set.

  2. Show it as unset if none of the selected elements have that property turned on. For example, if none of the text in a text selection is bold, show the check box as unset.

  3. Show it as indeterminate if some, but not all, of the selected elements have that property turned on. For example, if only some of the text in a text selection is bold, show the check box as indeterminate.

    4. Required
    When a check box represents a property shared by more than one selected element, toggling it to a particular state has the following effect:

    1. Toggling it to set ensures that all of the selected elements have that property. For example, toggling the Bold check box to set makes all the selected text bold.

    2. Toggling it to unset ensures that all of the selected elements do not have that property. For example, toggling the Bold check box to unset unbolds all the selected text.

    3. Toggling it to indeterminate gives each selected element the value for the property it had when the check box was displayed as indeterminate.

      4. Required
      A check box consists of a check graphic and a label. The check graphic is displayed to the left of the label. For information on bidirectional and vertical language support, see Chapter 11.

      Recommended
      When set, the check graphic is one of the following:

      1. Checkmark

      2. Cross

      3. Box

      4. Checkmark in a box

      5. Cross in a box

        When unset, the check graphic is empty or an empty box.

        6. Recommended
        The indeterminate state of the checkbox is represented by shading or otherwise diminishing the contrast between the check graphic in the on state and the background.

        Recommended
        If the box is to be filled, fill the box with an appropriate color different from the foreground and background color on displays that support multiple colors.

        Recommended
        If a mark is displayed in the check box, it is displayed in the foreground color on displays that support multiple colors.

        Essential Related Topics

        For more information, see the Control reference page.

        Supplemental Related Topics

        For more information, see the Choice and Radio Button (Control) reference pages.

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