Preference box with dash mark in it

[kehrer1701]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

What does is mean when a preference box has a - in it instead of being empty or having a check mark in it? For example, if I open "Microsoft Project Gallery" and then choose "settings," I see a - in the "show project gallery at start up" box. I can click it to make it empty, or click it again to put a full check mark back in it. I see the - in various other preference fields, so it must mean something other than check or no check.

 

[CyberTaz]

To tell you the truth I've never seen a dash in that particular checkbox --
but then I don't visit it that much. I just played around with it here
without being able to force it but perhaps it's different in Leopard (I'm
currently on a Tiger system)... Nope, same thing in Leopard.

Any way, there are a number of setting which can be variable (on/off) from
one spot to another. A check means all are On, clear means all are Off,
whereas a dash means On in some, Off in some. A clearer example of where it
most commonly shows up is in the Format> Font dialog.

If you select a body of text where some is bold -- some not, some is
italicized -- some isn't, etc. then go into the Format dialog those
attributes will have dashes in the boxes. The attributes that aren't in use
in any of that text will be cleared and the boxes for those which have been
used on *all* the text will have checks.

I thought the one you're seeing might mean that Project Gallery is set to
open on launch of some apps but not others. I don't know of any other reason
the box would display a dash but in a brief testing I wasn't able to cause
it to occur. Perhaps there are other variables involved & I'm just not
hitting the right combination of settings.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[kehrer1701]

I think you are right. The dash means in the project gallery is set to open in one, but maybe not another office app.