Check Box

  Description    Purpose    Advantages     Disadvantages    Usage    Choice Description     Size    Structure     Examples

1. Description
1. A two-part control consisting of a square box and a choice text.
2. Each option acts as a switch and can be either "on" or "off."
1. When an option is selected (on), a mark such as an "X" or "check" appears within the square box, or the box is highlighted in some other manner.
2. Otherwise, the square box is unselected or empty (off).
3. Each box can be turned on or off independently and can be used alone or grouped in sets.
2. Purpose
1. To set one or more options as either on or off.
3. Advantages
1. Easy to access choices.
2. Easy to compare choices.
3. User does not need to remember the choices.
4. Disadvantages
1. Consume screen space.
2. Limited number of choices.
3. Single check box difficult to align with other screen controls.
5. Usage
1. For setting attributes, properties, or values
2. For non-exclusive choices (i.e., more than one choice can be selected).
3. Most useful for data and choices that are:
1. Discrete.
2. Small and fixed in number.
3. Not easily remembered
4. In need of a textual description to meaningfully describe the alternatives.
5. Most easily understood when the alternatives may be seen together and compared to one another.
6. Never change in content.
4. Can be used to affect other controls.
6. Choice Descriptions
1. Provide meaningful, fully spelled-out choice descriptions clearly describing the values or effects set by the radio buttons.
2. Display in a single line of text.
3. Display using mixed-case letters with each significant word capitalized.
4. Position descriptions to the right of the button. Separate by at least one space from the button.
5. When a choice is conditionally unavailable for selection, display choice description grayed or dimmed.
7. Size
1. Show a minimum of one choice and a maximum of eight in a grouping.
8. Structure
1. Provide groupings of related check boxes.
2. A columnar orientation is the preferred manner of presentation for multiple related check boxes.
3. Left-align the check boxes and choice descriptions.
4. If vertical space on the screen is limited, orient the boxes horizontally.
5. Provide adequate separation between boxes so that the buttons are associated with the proper description.
1. A distance equal to three spaces is usually sufficient.
6. Enclose the boxes in a border to visually strengthen the relationship they possess.
9. Examples
      1.  See radio buttons.  Substitute a check box for a radio button.