Office XP Basics

What is a dialog box?

So far, you've learned that commands let you control how an Office XP program works. In order to execute many commands, your input is necessary. Dialog boxes help you accomplish this.

Dialog boxes look a lot like other windows and feature controls you use to change the function or appearance of a program.

For example, let's say you want to open an existing Word document. Whether you choose File Open from the menu bar or click the Open button on the Standard toolbar, an Open dialog box appears, ready for your input.

While exploring various menus in Office XP, you may have noticed an ellipsis (...) next to some menu commands. If you select a command that's followed by an ellipsis (...), a dialog box will appear.