Spin Box

  Description    Purpose    Advantages     Disadvantages    Usage    Captions     Examples

1. Description
1. A single-line field followed by two small, vertically-arranged buttons.
1. The top button has an arrow pointing up.
2. The bottom button has an arrow pointing down.
2. Selection is made by using the mouse to point at one of the directional buttons and clicking. Items will change by one unit or step with each click or keying a value directly into the field itself.
2. Purpose
1. To make a selection by either scrolling through a small set of meaningful predefined choices or typing text.
3. Advantages
1. Consumes little screen space.
2. Flexible, permitting selection or typed entry.
4. Disadvantages
1. Difficult to compare choices.
2. Can be awkward to operate.
3. Useful only for certain kinds of data.
5. Usage
1. For setting attributes, properties, or values.
2. For mutually exclusive choices.
3. When the task requires the option of either key entry or selection from a list.
4. When the user prefers the option of either key entry or selection from a list.
5. Where screen space is limited.
6. Most useful for data and choices that are:
1. Discrete.
2. Infrequently selected.
3. Well known, easily learned or remembered, and meaningful.
4. Ordered in a predictable, customary, or consecutive fashion.
5. Infrequently changed.
6. Small in number.
7. Fixed or variable in list length.
6. Captions
1. Display using mixed-case letters
2. Position the caption to the left of the box.
3. The caption can also be positioned left-justified above the box.
7. Example
1. The following example is taken from Microsoft Word. These spin boxes are used in the configuration of a paragraph.