In computing, the title bar (or titlebar) consists of that part of a window where the title of the window appears. Most graphical operating systems and window managers position the title bar at the top of the application window as a horizontal bar.
Default title-bar text often incorporates the name of the application and/or of its manufacturer. The name of the host running the application also appears frequently. Various methods (menu-selections, escape sequences, setup parameters, command-line options — depending on the computing environment) may exist to give the end-user some control of title-bar text. Most web browsers will render the contents of the title HTML element in their title bar, often pre- or postfixed by the application name. Google Chrome places its tabs in the title bar, so it is not necessary to use the main window for the tabs.
The title bar often contains icons for system commands relating to the window, such as a maximize, minimize, rollup and close buttons; and may include other content such as an application icon, a clock, etc.
In many graphical user interfaces, including the Mac OS and Microsoft Windows interfaces, the user may move a window by grabbing the title bar and dragging.
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Typically titlebars can be used to provide window motion enabling the window to be moved around the screen by using a drag action.
Some window managers provide useless titlebars which are purely for decorative purposes and offer no window motion facility. These window managers do not allow windows to be moved around the screen by using a drag action on the titlebar.
Some window managers provide titlebar buttons which provide the facility to minimize, maximize, roll-up or close application windows. Some window managers may display the titlebar buttons in the taskbar or taskpanel, rather than in the titlebars.
The following buttons may appear in the titlebar:
Note that a context menu may be available from some titlebar buttons or by right-clicking.
Some window managers display a small icon in the titlebar that may vary according to the application on which it appears. The titlebar icon may behave like a menu button, or may provide a context menu facility.
Some window managers display an icon or symbol to indicate that the contents of the window have not been saved or confirmed in some way: Mac OS X changes its close icon from an X to a dot; RISC OS appends an asterisk to the title.
| OS | icon | back | close | maximize | menu | meta | minimize | resize | roll-up | status | context menu | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Os X | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| RISC OS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Icon is context menu |
Note that many of these window manager allow customization of the buttons shown in the titlebar, some with much greater flexibility than others.
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