Projects/Usability/HIG/RadioButtons

Radio buttons offer the user a choice of two or more mutually exclusive options. Try to limit the number of radio buttons and radio button groups in a dialog. Offering a high number of radio buttons consumes screen space and adds to visual clutter. At the same time, showing all available options at once is an advantage if users are likely not to know possible alternatives.

• Use radio buttons for up to four mutually exclusive options. If there are more options, use a combo box or list instead.
• Use radio buttons if the user should see the choices without further interaction.
• Provide a descriptive label above or left to a group of radio buttons.
• Don't initiate an action when the user clicks a radio button.
• Radio buttons are not dynamic, that means their contents don't change depending on the context.
• Use sentence style capitalization to for a left-hand label and the options, book title capitalization for radio button group labels.
• Align groups of radio buttons vertically rather than horizontally, as this makes them easier to scan visually. Use horizontal or rectangular alignments only if they greatly improve the layout of the window.
• If toggling a radio button affects the enabled state of other controls, place the controls that it affects next to the radio button or in the next row (indented).