Re: Select vs. Pick

Subject: Re: Select vs. Pick
From: Alma Schipper <schippal -at- LIMS -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 17:31:25 -0500

The "Microsoft GUI Guide (International Terminology for the Windows
Interface), European Edition" (published by Microsoft Press; IBSN
1-55615-538-7) provides different definitions for "Select" and "Choose" in
Windows.

The definitions are:
CHOOSE: choose a menu command or command button.
SELECT:
1. Mark data in the window for further manipulation. Selected text or
objects appear highlighted or outlined.
2. Open a drop-down menu.
3. Click a drop-down arrow to open a list box.
4. Turn on an option button or check box in a dialog box.

We summarize the difference by saying that _choosing_ [a button or menu
option] causes an immediate action. For example, if you don't have a mouse,
you can use the tab key to SELECT an option button, then press Enter to
CHOOSE it.

A fine distiction, but if you keep it consistent, it seems to work pretty well.

By the way, the GUI Guide has really helped us standardize our
Windows-related terminology -- I've successfully used it to convince
programmers to stop insisting on terms like "sub-form", for example. (And
did you know that "radio button" isn't a standard Windows term? It's
"option button". I didn't know until I read it.)

And speaking of translation, we asked our translators to use it as a
standard reference as well -- it contains the standard Windows terms in 14
European languages.

Pity it doesn't resolve the "prepend" controversy...

P.S. I agree with you that "pick" is probably not a good ...um, choice?
selection? :-)

-- Alma T. Schipper :-)
schippal -at- lims -dot- com (518) 274-1990, ext. 165
Laboratory MicroSystems, Inc., Troy, NY USA
(but speaking on my own...)

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