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Subject:Use button text or tooltip text? From:"Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com> To:techwr-l Date:Mon, 18 Aug 2003 11:08:12 -0700
I am documenting a web application that, like many client applications, uses
toolbars. Users can select options on how to view the toolbars: icons only,
text only, or icons and text. The buttons in the toolbar also have tooltips.
But unlike most applications I've seen, the text in the tooltip is different
from the text on the button (when the button text is chosen for viewing). So
my questions is: When I write "Click <button>" in an instruction, should
<button> be the button text or the tooltip text?
I know the general rule it to tell users exactly what they are clicking on.
My issue is, when users select "icon only," while I can add the pictograph
of the icon, I also must have the text, and if I use the button text, then
it won't match the tooltip text.
Of course, I will probably enter this as a bug, as I think the tooltip text
should match the button text, but if I am either overruled or if it's not
considered serious enough to get changed for this release, what's the best
solution for presenting the information so it'll be best understood by
users?
