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Subject:Re: Conventions From:Bonni Graham <bonnig -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 26 Jul 1995 15:39:53 -0700
Harvey Millman wrote:
>"Press" seems too literal and inexact. The physical action: you move the
>mouse cursor over the "button" (I've not heard it called a "pushbutton"),
>and click a mouse button. Hence "click."
Well, actually, no, you don't "click" the mouse button, you push down on
("press") the mouse button. "Click" is the sound it makes when you press it -
and in fact, if you want to be really picky you can make it click w/out
actually pressing it (at least, if you have long fingernails <g>).
I use "press" in Windows or OS/2 manuals, because no matter how users get focus
to the button they have to press something, be it a mouse/trackball/laptop
"eraser" button, the ENTER key, or the actual screen itself (if
touch-sensitive)). I use "click" in Macintosh manuals, because that's what my
sources (a client's Mac programmers) tell me the audience is used to.
BTW-- "pushbutton" is the actual, formal, CUA-compliant name for the button
widget.
