Identifying Windows for the User

You should try to assign a user-friendly caption to every window, whether or not it is visible on the screen.

Every window can have a caption, whether or not it has a visible caption bar. Screen review utilities query this text by sending a WM_GETTEXT message and use it to identify the window to a user who is blind when the window receives focus or when the user issues a "What window am I working in?" query. Similarly, voice recognition and on-screen keyboard utilities use the caption as a command that the user can choose. However, for this to work, the application developer has to provide appropriate text when the window is created or by calling the SetWindowText function.

Note that the need for captions applies to all windows — not only top-level windows but also to child windows, such as floating palettes, custom controls, and toolbars — and to panes within the same window frame when they are implemented as separate windows.