Part of the Computing fundamentals glossary:

In the graphical user interface ( GUI ) for a computer, a toolbar is a horizontal row or vertical column of selectable image "buttons" that give the user a constantly visible reminder of and an easy way to select certain desktop or other application functions, such as saving or printing a document or moving pages forwards or backwards within a Web browser . Most operating system s come with a toolbar. In addition, many application programs, such as word processors and spreadsheet programs, come with one or more toolbars as part of their user interface.

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In addition to the toolbars that come with an operating system desktop or an application, some software developers or third parties provide supplementary toolbars that can be downloaded and installed. Supplementary toolbar functions may include quick access to news, sports, and weather headlines; instant form completion; instant access to favorite sites; and faster searches.

A similar user interface device, the taskbar , provides information about active applications.

This was last updated in January 2006
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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