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CreateDialog[expr]

creates a dialog notebook containing expr and opens it in the front end.

CreateDialog[expr,obj]

replaces the notebook represented by the notebook object obj with the one obtained from expr.

Details and Options
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Options  
Background  
Enabled  
WindowMargins  
WindowTitle  
Applications  
Properties & Relations  
See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
History
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CreateDialog

CreateDialog[expr]

creates a dialog notebook containing expr and opens it in the front end.

CreateDialog[expr,obj]

replaces the notebook represented by the notebook object obj with the one obtained from expr.

Details and Options

  • CreateDialog by default creates a notebook with options set so as to be suitable for the appearance and behavior of a typical dialog box. The option settings include Deployed->True, ShowCellBracket->False, WindowFloating->False and WindowSize->All.
  • Dialog notebooks created by CreateDialog are by default opened in the middle of the main display screen. Explicit settings for WindowMargins override this.
  • CreateDialog[expr] by default puts expr into a single output cell.
  • If expr is a complete notebook expression, CreateDialog[expr] creates an open notebook corresponding to this expression.
  • If expr is a cell or list of cells, CreateDialog[expr] creates a notebook consisting of this cell or cells.
  • CreateDialog can take any notebook option.
  • If no explicit setting is given for WindowTitle, no name will be displayed for a dialog.
  • The additional option Modal specifies whether the dialog created by CreateDialog should be modal.
  • With the default setting Modal->False, other windows can be used even when the dialog is open. With Modal->True, no other Wolfram System windows can be used until the dialog has been closed. If there is no mechanism for closing the dialog, the Wolfram System will effectively freeze.
  • If DialogReturn is executed, for example as a result of clicking a button, within the window created by CreateDialog, then the window will be closed.
  • In dialogs created with CreateDialog, pressing TemplateBox[{return}, Key0, BaseStyle -> {Notes, FontWeight -> Plain, FontFamily -> Source Sans Pro}] is effectively equivalent to clicking the DefaultButton, and to clicking the CancelButton.
  • If the dialog contains no DefaultButton or CancelButton, pressing TemplateBox[{return}, Key0, BaseStyle -> {Notes, FontWeight -> Plain, FontFamily -> Source Sans Pro}] or will close the dialog without taking any other action.
  • CreateDialog returns a NotebookObject corresponding to the notebook it creates.
  • CreateDialog[expr,obj] overwrites whatever data was contained in the notebook represented by the notebook object obj.

Examples

open all close all

Basic Examples  (2)

Make a dialog notebook:

Make a dialog notebook that accepts input text:

Type something in the input field:

Click OK to assign the input to ret:

Scope  (2)

Put up a dialog window for setting a value for u:

Moving the slider changes the value of the Manipulate variable x:

Click the button to set u:

Create a modal dialog, which blocks interactions with other open notebooks:

Options  (4)

Background  (1)

Choose a background:

Enabled  (1)

Create a dialog with user interactivity disabled:

Enable user interactivity:

WindowMargins  (1)

Place a dialog window at the upper left of the screen:

WindowTitle  (1)

Applications  (1)

Create a dialog window for manipulating a graphics object:

Properties & Relations  (1)

To create a dialog that blocks kernel evaluations, use DialogInput:

Wolfram Research (2007), CreateDialog, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CreateDialog.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2007), CreateDialog, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CreateDialog.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2007. "CreateDialog." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CreateDialog.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2007). CreateDialog. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CreateDialog.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_createdialog, author="Wolfram Research", title="{CreateDialog}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CreateDialog.html}", note=[Accessed: 01-February-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_createdialog, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={CreateDialog}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CreateDialog.html}, note=[Accessed: 01-February-2026]}