chooser

Chooser is a term with multiple related meanings. Primarily, a chooser is a person who makes a choice. In computing and user interfaces, a chooser refers to a component or dialog that presents a set of options and allows the user to select one or more items from them.

Common types of choosers include file choosers, color choosers, font choosers, and printer or network choosers. A file chooser lets users navigate the file system to select files or directories. A color chooser provides a color palette or color wheel to pick colors. A font chooser offers a set of typefaces and styles for selection. A printer or network chooser allows users to select a printer, printer queue, or network resource.

Historical note: In classic Apple Macintosh systems, the Chooser was a standalone utility used to select printers and AppleTalk or other network resources. It provided a central place for configuring printing and network options and was later superseded by more integrated system dialogs and preferences.

In programming frameworks, choosers are implemented as specialized UI components or dialogs. For example, Java Swing provides JFileChooser for file selection and JColorChooser for color selection. Web interfaces use input elements such as the file input for file selection or the color input for color selection, effectively functioning as choosers. Mobile platforms offer similar patterns, including system dialogs or intents that prompt the user to choose a resource or an app to handle a task.

Overall, choosers play a key role in guiding users to select resources or values in a consistent, discoverable way.