Grayed out

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The term grayed out describes a user interface element that has been displayed with a light shade of gray instead of black or colors, to indicate that it cannot currently be operated by the user.

In example, many web browsers have a "Stop" button or menu item to discontinue loading a web page that has been partly loaded. However, if no window is showing, or the current page is already completely loaded, then this control cannot perform any function. In this case, the button or menu item may be "grayed out" -- disabled and drawn in gray.

This convention is widely used in graphical user interfaces, to quickly let the user know which actions cannot be taken in the computer's current state. This approach makes it possible to disable controls when they cannot be used, but keeps the controls in a consistent location and gives a clear signal that they cannot be used, thereby minimizing confusion for the user.

[edit] External links

• Human-Computer Interface Design at University of Saskatchewan
• Usability Analysis of the Palm Beach Ballot Controversy, Paul Resnick, Associate Professor, University of Michigan School of Information