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>I have a new question now....in the new documentation for a piece of software
>my co has developed we are confused on the use of the words "icons" and
>"buttons". We feel that an icon is a graphical representation of the action
>that will take place when you click it. A button has text on it to describe
>what it will do.
Icons are pictures on buttons. You can also have icons that are not on buttons
that cannot be clicked on. Text can also be on buttons. One clicks on buttons,
not icons or text.
It is also possible that a program will have two or more icons with the same root
image. The Increase and Decrease Indent buttons in Microsoft Word are good
examples. Imagine describing their icons: "Click on the icon with the horizontal
lines and a right arrow." Writing "Click the Increase Indent button" would be
more readable. In my manuals, I include a picture of the button 0.5" to the left
of the text in which it is mentioned. If the user doesn't know which icon
Increase Indent is, the picture will make it obvious. I repeat the tool and
button pictures throughout the manual on the first use on each page.
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