Dialog Boxes in Windows Forms

Dialog boxes are used to interact with the user and retrieve information. In simple terms, a dialog box is a form with its FormBorderStyle enumeration property set to FixedDialog. You can construct your own custom dialog boxes by using the Windows Forms Designer in Visual Studio. Add controls such as Label, Textbox, and Button to customize dialog boxes to your specific needs. The .NET Framework also includes predefined dialog boxes, such as File Open and message boxes, which you can adapt for your own applications. For more information, see Dialog-Box Controls and Components.

In This Section

How to: Display Dialog Boxes for Windows Forms
Gives directions for showing dialog boxes.

Dialog-Box Controls and Components
Lists the predefined dialog box controls.

Changing the Appearance of Windows Forms
Contains links to topics that describe how to change the appearance of Windows Forms applications.

TabControl Control Overview
Explains how you incorporate the tab control into a dialog box.