Modal and Modeless Web Page Dialogs

Modal and modeless dialogs are concepts in graphical user interfaces (GUI) in software development where a modal dialog keeps user focus while the modeless dialog does not and user can traverse between dialogs or windows.

In the recent years, modal dialogs have become common in Web design and development and especially in user centric Web services and ajaxified Web pages. Dialogs can range from being a simple Java Script alert dialog into a sophisticated form for user input with effects and user input validation.

The modal dialog is one of the elements that helps blur the line between desktop applications and Web applications and is arguably a good thing. Rules of user interface design about users previous experience applies to Web development as well as to desktop software development.

There is variety of modal dialog solutions available and many are very easy to include and put to use on a Web page. Popular Java Script libraries have sparked development of modal dialogs and modal windows as plugins.

Related links:

• Modal and Modeless Dialog Boxes
• Lightview - content overlay
• JavaScript - Cross Browser Modal Dialog Box By Robbe Morris
• SimpleModal Demos - jQuery plugin
• jQuery Alert Dialogs

Filed under: Rich Internet Applications , Web Development

Posted by: Webmaster on : August 2009