Take the 2-minute tour ×  There seems to be an increasing use of
modal dialog boxes on the web, but when should you use them? Why
would you choose to use them instead of inline controls or
another page, and when should you completely avoid them?
share|improve this question Also, 200th question on UX Exchange!
–  Philip Morton Dec 20 '09 at 10:27 This question was asked
nearly 2 years ago -- I'm wondering whether peoples' thoughts on
usage of modals has evolved since then. –  Janel Oct 7 '11 at
10:10  7 Answers 7  I use a combination of inline editing, soft
modals, full modals and floating windows.    1. Inline editing.
If possible, always try to use this. It requires the least
amount of context switching. It's quick.   2. Soft modals.
Example: Windows Start Menus. They are rich controls and can
have forms, but they spawn off a single menu and can be
dismissed by clicking anywhere. These are good to use from
menus.   3. Full Modals. These mask the entire screen and allow
ONLY interaction with the modal. I use