Check Boxes 

A check box presents the user with a single yes or no decision, or a decision between two opposite choices.

You can use a check box by itself or in a group of check boxes. Unlike with single-selection controls such as a drop-down list box or a set of option buttons, a user can select any combination in a group of check boxes.

A check box appears as a square box with an accompanying label. When the choice is selected, a check mark appears in the box. When the choice is not selected, the check box is empty. A check box can have one of three states:

• Checked — the associated value is set.
• Cleared — the associated value is not set.
• Mixed value — the associated value is set for some, but not all, items in the current selection.

Additionally, check boxes can be available or unavailable. The following table shows all possible appearances.

State	Associated Value	Available Appearance	Unavailable Appearance
Checked	Set
Cleared	Not set
Mixed value	Set for some items in current selection, not set for others

For information about using check-box functionality in menus, see Menus.

See Also

Concepts

Group Boxes
Layout
Layout Specifications: Win32
Layout Specifications: Windows Forms
List Boxes
Menus
Option Buttons