RE: Microsoft Manual of Style questions

["Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com>]

Just to clarify, MMOS 3 doesn't consider any of those terms acceptable
for home users and information workers. They write: "In most content,
especially for home users and information workers, do not differentiate
between drop-down combo boxes, list boxes, and text boxes. Refer to such
elements by their label, and use a descriptor only if necessary for
clarity. If you must use a descriptor, use list or box. Do use the term
check box, however." So their intention is that you would use those
terms when communicating about the GUI with a developer, not when
describing the GUI to an end user.

They give the example, "In the Item list, click Desktop."

By the way, their instruction not to use the term "check box" is
confusing. Every one of their check box examples uses that term! Maybe
they meant that you shouldn't use the term for something that isn't a
check box...?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Zuercher, Darrell
> Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:58 AM
> To: Jodie Gilmore; TECHWR-L -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: Microsoft Manual of Style questions
> 
> The 3rd edition (p. 249) cites "drop-down arrow," "drop-down combo 
> box," and "drop-down list box" as acceptable uses. Evidently, they 
> separate them now.
> 
> As for "e-mail", it also instructs writers to "always hyphenate." 
> (p. 252). Yes, it still states that it is not a synonym for 
> "message". It states that "sending an e-mail message" is 
> correct, but "sending an e-mail" is not.
> 


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