Multipage Control (Control Type)

Use a multipage control to organize groups of controls that can be logically subdivided into groups, and that should not or need not all be displayed at once.

Use a multipage control instead of placing related controls in separate windows connected by dialog choices on push buttons.

Use a multipage control instead of scrolling an area that contains a large number of controls.

Use a multipage control to organize groups of controls in a window according to some application-specific order, for example, sorted in ascending order by page number.

Do not use a multipage control when a set of controls does not fit within a viewing area. Use a More choice instead.

Organize the controls within each page of a multipage control into one or more tab groups.

Do not use tab group navigation to switch pages of a multipage control.

When forward tab group navigation is in use, traverse all tab groups on a visible page before navigating off the page.

When tab group navigation moves focus into a multipage control, place focus, initially, in one of the visible pages.

If focus is within a page in a multipage control, then allow pressing PageUp, Ctrl PageUp, or PageLeft (or PageDown, Ctrl PageDown, or PageRight) to switch to an appropriate subsequent (or preceding) page, unless the control uses the key within the page that has focus.

When a small fixed set of distinct pages are to be used in a multipage control, use a list, drop-down list, or option menu as the paging control.

When a small set of pages, some or all of which are similar, are to be used in a multipage control, use a spin box as the paging control.

When a multipage control does not itself support organization of the pages in groups, use an option menu with cascading menus as the paging control.