Movable Toolbars

Toolbars are used within Windows and web-based application to give users quick access to function with the application as well as to launch other programs. When developers first started including toolbars in their applications, they were the ones that decided what options would appear on the toolbars as well as where the toolbars would be located in the application. For the most part the toolbars were always displayed horizontally at the top or the bottom of the application's user interface.

As time has progressed, developers have started giving their user the option of determining what functions will appear on the toolbars. They also decided to give the user the power to choose where the toolbar would be displayed within the application. This type of toolbar is often referred to as a moveable toolbar.

Grip Handles

As their name implies moveable toolbars can be moved and then subsequently docked somewhere else within the user interface of the application. To un-dock the toolbar, the developer typically provides the user with grip handles. The grip handles appear on the left hand side of the toolbar and resemble a series of vertical dots.

To move the toolbar, the user simply has to click their mouse on the grip handles and then drag the moveable toolbar to its new location. In addition to being able to be relocated, moveable toolbars can also be resized or hidden altogether. In addition, most toolbars can now be configured so they are displayed in either a horizontal or vertical format.