About box
Encyclopedia
An about box or about dialog is a dialog box
that displays the credit
s and revision information of a computer software
.
Generally, most programs' about boxes include information about product name and installed version, company name, and copyright
information. However there are programs that include much more information in their about box, like system information, registration information (if the program is distributed as shareware
), text of license agreement, and the names of contributors to the project.
The concept of the about box originated with the first Macintosh Classic operating system
, where About [program name] was typically the first item in the Apple menu
. In Mac OS X
, about boxes are typically listed as the first item in the menu with the program's name (next to the Apple menu). In most Microsoft Windows
program
s, about boxes can be accessed from the Help menu, from a menu item of About .... For example, Microsoft
Internet Explorer
's about box could be opened by opening the Help menu, then selecting About Internet Explorer menu item.
About boxes are usually not standardized and are sometimes creative or entertaining in their design. They might contain some small animation
or they may be a passage to an easter egg
.
Many times the splash screen
(if one exists) and about box are identical or very similar. In some occasions, mostly in web browser
s, the splash screen can be shown as a document of its own in the application.
The Mac OS X
and the MorphOS
operating systems include standard classes, Aboutbox.mcc in MorphOS' case, for displaying copyright and credit information. Application authors are recommended to use them instead making own custom About boxes.
Dialog box
In a graphical user interface of computers, a dialog box is a type of window used to enable reciprocal communication or "dialog" between a computer and its user. It may communicate information to the user, prompt the user for a response, or both...
that displays the credit
Credit (creative arts)
In general, the term credit in the artistic or intellectual sense refers to an acknowledgement of those who contributed to a work, whether through ideas or in a more direct sense.-Credit in the arts:...
s and revision information of a computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
.
Generally, most programs' about boxes include information about product name and installed version, company name, and copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
information. However there are programs that include much more information in their about box, like system information, registration information (if the program is distributed as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
), text of license agreement, and the names of contributors to the project.
The concept of the about box originated with the first Macintosh Classic operating system
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
, where About [program name] was typically the first item in the Apple menu
Apple menu
The Apple menu has been a feature in Apple's Mac OS since its inception. It is the first item on the left hand side of the menu bar. The Apple menu's role has changed throughout the release history of Mac OS, but the menu has always featured a version of the Apple logo.-System 6 and earlier:In...
. In Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, about boxes are typically listed as the first item in the menu with the program's name (next to the Apple menu). In most Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
s, about boxes can be accessed from the Help menu, from a menu item of About .... For example, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
's about box could be opened by opening the Help menu, then selecting About Internet Explorer menu item.
About boxes are usually not standardized and are sometimes creative or entertaining in their design. They might contain some small animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
or they may be a passage to an easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
.
Many times the splash screen
Splash screen
A splash screen is an image that appears while a game or program is loading. It may also be used to describe an introduction page on a website. Splash screens sometimes do not cover the entire screen, but only a rectangle near the center...
(if one exists) and about box are identical or very similar. In some occasions, mostly in web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
s, the splash screen can be shown as a document of its own in the application.
The Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and the MorphOS
MorphOS
MorphOS is an Amiga-compatible computer operating system. It is a mixed proprietary and open source OS produced for the Pegasos PowerPC processor based computer, PowerUP accelerator equipped Amiga computers, and a series of Freescale development boards that use the Genesi firmware, including the...
operating systems include standard classes, Aboutbox.mcc in MorphOS' case, for displaying copyright and credit information. Application authors are recommended to use them instead making own custom About boxes.
See also
- about: URI schemeAbout: URI schemeabout is an internal URI scheme in various web browsers to display certain built-in functions...
- Easter egg (in computer programs)
- CreditCredit (creative arts)In general, the term credit in the artistic or intellectual sense refers to an acknowledgement of those who contributed to a work, whether through ideas or in a more direct sense.-Credit in the arts:...
, and openingOpening creditsIn a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
and closing creditsClosing creditsClosing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
(in movies)
External links
- About box screenshots, a collection of screenshots of about boxes.