A dialog program in the sense used in this book refers to typically smaller, less complicated programs that typically only require a single window, without a menu or tool bar. These types of programs are common of smaller utilities. They are not typically connected to a database table, though that doesn't mean they can't be. Also, the same approach used to create a dialog-style program can be used to create dialog-style functionality as part of a larger program. In some cases, the stand alone utility program can easily be converted to provide its functionality within the context of a larger program.

The example program that we will use in this chapter was selected to fulfill a number of goals: