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Subject:Re: click on, select, choose From:CJBenz <cjbenz -at- AOL -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 20 Dec 1994 17:09:03 -0500
On Sat, 17 Dec 1994. Jill R Shapiro asked:
>Has anyone come up with definitive guidelines for the use of these verbs
>in software documentation?
>Once again, I find myself on a project where each person has his/her own
>opinion on this. Last project I was on that was similar to this one,
>someone came up with "choose" for buttons, "select" for menu items, and
>"click on" for icons. This seems pretty convoluted to me, but it also
>makes a certain amount of sense--especially because using the same verb
>over and over again gets pretty awful. Of course, the most important
>thing is consistency.
>Any ideas?
Assuming a GUI such as Windows:
"Click" on a command or radio button (e.g., "Click on OK")
"Choose" a menu command (e.g., "Choose File | Run")
"Select" a list item or doc element (e.g., "Select Arial" or "Select cell
A1")
"Check" or "uncheck" a check box (e.g., "Check Bold")
"Press" a keyboard key (e.g., "Press Delete")
"Send" currency types (e.g., "Send cash or check for my good suggestions")
Chris Benz
Author, Technical Writer, Computer Trainer
6229438 -at- mcimail -dot- com
"You learn something new every day--whether you want to or not."
