Editing Status bar (section)

==Usage==
Status bars, and status lines before them, have been used for years<ref name=viHow/> to display advisory messages in a predefined area, predating [[dialog box]]es which can block the view of related information behind the pop-up messages.  The use of status bars (or status lines) involves both advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages of status bars:
* They allow viewing messages while also viewing the entire screen (although they take space away from the screen for their own display)
* They allow typing information while viewing status data
* They allow other menu options while viewing status data
* They continually show status during operation

Disadvantages of status bars:
* Status bars might restrict information to a one-line display (although a variable multi-line status bar/region could be used);
* Status bars typically cannot pop to the surface for critical messages when its parent window is layered below others (but are always visible in the parent window, which can be raised).
* Their location at the edge of the display may make them less noticeable than a dialog box