A control is a child window that an application uses in conjunction with another window to enable user interaction. Controls are most often used within dialog boxes, but they can also be used in other windows. Controls within dialog boxes provide the user with a way to type text, choose options, and initiate actions. Controls in other windows provide a variety of services, such as letting the user choose commands, view status, and view and edit text.
The common controls overview documentation describes the common controls delivered in Microsoft Windows and the programming elements used to create and manipulate them.
The following table lists the Windows controls.
| Control | Description |
|---|
| Animation | A window that displays an Audio-Video Interleaved (AVI) clip. |
| Button | Notifies the parent window when the user selects the control. |
| Combo Box | A combination of a list box and an edit control, enabling the user to select or add items. |
| ComboBoxEx | An extension of the combo box control that provides native support for item images. |
| Date and Time Picker | A simple and intuitive interface through which to exchange date and time information with a user. |
| Drag List Box | A type of list box that enables the user to drag items from one position to another. |
| Edit | A window within the user can view and edit text. |
| Flat Scroll Bar | A scroll bar with a more customizable appearance than standard scroll bars. |
| Header | A window that is usually positioned above columns of text or numbers. It contains a title for each column, and it can be divided into parts. |
| Hot Key | A window that enables the user to enter a combination of keystrokes to be used as a hot key. |
| Image Lists | A collection of images of the same size, each of which can be referred to by its index. |
| IP Address | A window in which the user can enter an Internet Protocol (IP) address in an easily understood format. |
| List Box | A simple list from which the user can select one or more items. |
| List-View | A list box that provides several ways to arrange and display the items. |
| Month Calendar | A calendar that enables the user to select a date or dates. |
| Pager | A set of arrow buttons that enable the contents of a control window to be scrolled. |
| Progress Bar | An animated control that indicates the progress of a lengthy operation. |
| Property Sheet | A dialog box that enables the user to view and edit the properties of an item. Pages may be viewed as tabs, or in succession as a wizard. |
| ReBar | A container for child windows. An application assigns child windows, which are often other controls, to a rebar control band. |
| Rich Edit | A window in which the user can view and edit text with character and paragraph formatting. It can also contain embedded COM objects. |
| Scroll Bar | A control that enables the user to choose the direction and distance to scroll information in a related window. |
| Static | Non-interactive text, including labels for other controls. |
| Status Bar | A horizontal window at the bottom of a parent window in which an application can display various kinds of status information. |
| SysLink | A hypertext link. |
| Tab | A selectable page, analogous to a divider in a notebook. By using a tab control, an application can define multiple pages for the same area of a window or dialog box. |
| Task Dialog | A more powerful alternative to simple message boxes, incorporating elements such as custom buttons, radio buttons, hyperlinks, and progress bars. |
| Toolbar | A window that contains one or more buttons and possibly other controls. |
| Tooltip | A message that appears automatically when the mouse pointer hovers over a tool. |
| Trackbar | A slider with optional tick marks, used to set a value within a range. |
| Tree-View | A hierarchical list of items, such as the headings in a document or the files and directories on a disk. |
| Up-Down | A pair of arrow buttons that the user can click to increment or decrement a value, such as a scroll position or a number displayed in a companion control. |