Common dialog-boxes are dialog boxes that applications display by calling a single function rather than by creating a dialog template resource and a corresponding dialog procedure.
In addition to simplifying the development of Windows applications, common dialog boxes assist users by providing a standard set of controls for performing certain operations. As Windows developers begin using the common dialog boxes in their applications, users will find that once they master using the dialog in one application, they will have little trouble performing the same operations in other applications.
The common dialog functions include:
| Function | Description |
| ChooseColor | Creates a standard dialog box for choosing colors. |
| ChooseFont | Creates a standard font selection dialog box. |
| FindText | Creates a standard dialog box for text searches. |
| GetFileTitle | Gets the file title from a file's pathname. |
| GetOpenFileName | Creates a standard dialog box for opening a file. |
| GetSaveFileName | Creates a standard dialog box for saving a file. |
| PrintDlg | Creates a standard dialog box for printing. |
| ReplaceText | Creates a standard dialog box for text search and replace. |