Modal vs. Modeless Dialog Boxes
The CDialog base class supports both modal and modeless dialog boxes. With a modal dialog box, such as the Open File dialog box, the user cannot work elsewhere in the same application (more correctly, in the same user interface thread) until the dialog box is closed. With a modeless dialog box, the user can work in another window in the application while the dialog box remains on the screen. Microsoft Word's Find and Replace dialog box is a good example of a modeless dialog box; you can edit your document while the dialog box is open.Your choice of a modal or a modeless dialog box depends on the application. Modal dialog boxes are much easier to program, which might influence your decision.