Re: Click X, or click the X button?

[Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>]

Chinell, David F (GE EntSol, Security) wrote:
> Kevin:
> 
> Personally, your approach appeals to me. But I think you should also
> consider Sun's approach, which (if I interpret Read Me First! correctly)
> is to give NO special typographic treatment to GUI elements (or their
> identifying labels).
> 
> When possible confusion exists between a label and the surrounding text,
> you can set the label in title case (though it may not be set that way
> in the GUI) or you can set it in double quotes.
> 
> Click Back, and then check the "Use the security key color" check box.
> 
> Click Back, and then check the Use the Security Key Color check box.
> 

Actually, RMF does not call for double quotes,
either :-> It does indeed recommend no special
typographic treatment for GUI items.

Our internal Editorial Forum discussions on this
issue concluded that if you are writing a lot of
procedures involving a GUI, many items in the step
text would appear in alternate font, which means none
of the items would really stand out anyway. Plus,
although I have heard the argument that it makes the
steps easier to skim, frankly I'm not sure that we
really *want* users to just select options and click
buttons without reading any warnings or other
informational text in between.

Finally, too much alternate fonting can make text
look like a ransom note :->

-- Janice

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