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What's the English (non-technical) word we use to refer to a GUI "box" which groups different elements together?

For example, we can see a Performance "box" in this image:

A screen capture of a 'System Properties' window with the 'Advanced' tab showing. The subsection/box labeled 'Performance' has a hand-drawn red circle around it.

What's an alternative (non-technical) word to use instead of calling it a "box"?

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or a Groupbox - that's what Microsoft call it, at least. Personally though in documentation I call it a 'panel' because I think this is a better word for a non-technical reader. – peterG Jan 21 '14 at 1:47
up vote 5 down vote accepted


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Qt also refers to these as the quite self-descriptive "group box" – dbr Sep 1 '14 at 12:38


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The answer to this will depend on the nomenclature of the chosen platform and development environment. On the Microsoft (Windows) platform, "System Properties" is a dialog, form or window, while "Performance" is a frame or panel. More generically, both are examples of windows, which is the name given to any graphical control element as well as being synonymous with a form. Confused?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/4e964t5e(v=vs.90).aspx http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.window(v=vs.110).aspx

Terminology on different platforms (e.g. Linux, Macintosh) may vary considerably. Even on Windows it may vary somewhat between users of different programming environments (e.g. pre and post .Net eras, other IDE vendors). What I've quoted for you is the Microsoft terminology in most common use.

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