Out of a given set of values exactly one value must be selected.

Context

Operators need to switch to a different view or they need to select exactly one value.

Forces

When used for switching views the selector may act as a replacement for the tabbed pane. This is mainly to avoid nested tabbed pane controls.

When acting as a selection from multiple values, the range or set of values must be chosen properly to avoid confusion.

Solution

The solution proposes a control consisting of several active button-like controls, which act in conjunction. These buttons have text labels and optionally may have icons. Pressing one of the inactive controls sets it to an active state and resets the states of all other controls. The selector has a default state and always has one active state. On desktop interfaces the corresponding control is the radiobutton.

Interactive Example

Usability Impact

Using the control as a paginator it may help to reduce on-screen clutter similar to a tabbed pane.

Safety Impact

When using this control as a paginator, safety-critical functions should not be hidden in invisible pages.

When this control acts as a selector, the range of values must be designed unambiguously to avoid confusion.