The verb "select"

Subject: The verb "select"
From: Glenda Jeffrey <jeffrey -at- HKS -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 1995 21:26:39 GMT

What do you folks make of the verb "select"?
It seems overused, to me. I found the following four
definitions in the Microsoft GUI Guide:

1. Mark data in the window for further manipulation.
Selected text or objects appear highlighted or outlined.

2. Open a drop-down menu.
[ What do you do once you have the menu? Do you select
there, also? ]

3. Click a drop-down arrow to open a list box.

4. Turn on an option button or check box in a dialog.

And then there's "choose", which is defined as "Choose
a menu command or command button". Are they talking
about drop-down menus here?

This is confusing to me -- especially #4 above.
I'd choose an option button (since option buttons generally come
in lists of two or more), and I'd toggle a check box (since check boxes
signify binary behavior) -- in neither case would I
select anything.

What does everybody else out there use for mouse action
verbs? Or are you sticking with Microsoft's terminology?
--
Glenda Jeffrey Email: jeffrey -at- hks -dot- com
Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc Phone: 401-727-4200
1080 Main St. Fax: 401-727-4208
Pawtucket, RI 02860


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