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Subject:Re: Which style to use in this case From:Julie Stickler <jstickler -at- gmail -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:46:35 -0400
On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 3:13 PM, Downing, David <david -dot- downing -at- fiserv -dot- com> wrote:
> I need to refer to a command that's available as both a button and a menu option.
Microsoft Manual of Style solves the problem by stating "In most
materials, always document the preferred method of performing a
procedure of there is more than one way to do something. The
preferred method should reflect the needs of the audience as much as
possible. For example, the preferred method might be to use menus and
commands, or it might be to use toolbar buttons." (3d edition, page
117)
I've had developers code as many as *three* ways to perform an action
(toolbar buttons, menu options, and keyboard shortcuts), and I've
always just picked one to document. Usually the option that required
the least amount of mouse clicks to accomplish. I'd rather not
confuse the novice user by mentioning two or three different ways to
accomplish the same thing. The more experienced users will figure out
the various options as they become more familiar with the software.
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