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From: Liz Tam <ltam -at- ariba -dot- com>
To: Ruth Sessions <ruthsessions03051 -at- yahoo -dot- com>; Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 2:58 PM
Subject: RE: Quotation marks around user interface labels
You can also use the ESC-j-j keyboard shortcut to repeat the last character formatting command.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ltam=ariba -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ltam=ariba -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Ruth Sessions
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 11:56 AM
To: Robert Lauriston; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Quotation marks around user interface labels
If you are using FrameMaker, you can use the Copy Character Format menu item, then just paste that format wherever it's needed using CTRL-V on each word. I find this menu/keystroke combination makes quick work of bolding or italicizing text.
From: Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 12:15 PM
Subject: Re: Quotation marks around user interface labels
Given my choice, I don't use character styles for UI elements, text strings, and so on. I don't think the value added for the user is proportional to the additional work required.
For example, "Select Tools > Out of Office Assistant > 'Send Out of Office auto-replies' > OK" takes me 15 seconds to type. Apply individual emphasis tags to each of the four UI elements and, unless the tool you're using makes it easy to apply the right tag from the keyboard, it takes two or four times as long. Some people would split it into numbered steps, which might double it again. Follow the MS style guide slavishly and you might add another 50 or 100 words. Add some screen shots and 15 seconds of typing has turned in to fifteen minutes of busywork.
I would probably be less prejudiced against that more elaborate approach if I hadn't inherited so many user guides that were simply a highly formatted narrative of the UI with no additional information.
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