icons vs. buttons?

[Keith Hansen]

<<buttons have text on them.
icons are little pictures.>>

Alas, if only life were this simple! ): 

I'm using a software that has both text ("OK") and a picture (thumbs up)
on the same button/icon. Is it a button? Or an icon?

For icon, the MS Guide says the following:

"Use only to describe a graphic representation of an object that a user
can select and open, such as a drive, disk, folder, document, or
program. . . . Within programs, do not use icon for graphical dialog box
options or options that appear on ribbons, toolbars, toolboxes, or other
areas of a window."

Examples of icons in the MS Guide: Internet Explorer icon; MS Word icon
(In the MS Guide, these icon examples have both text and pictures.)

When I click OK, that's not a graphic representation of a program, etc.
So, I guess the following are all buttons:
- Text only (OK)
- Picture only (thumbs up)
- Text with picture (OK, thumbs up)

Agree? Disagree? I think my reasoning is correct here, but I'm open to
disagreement...

Keith 

-----Original Message-----
From: Sankara R [mailto:ss_rajanala at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 10:51 AM
To: Yves JEAUROND; Keith Hansen
Cc: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Subject: RE: icons vs. buttons?


once more [sorry]

buttons have text on them.
icons are little pictures.

Icons can lead to action: the save (diskette) in MS word.

Buttons can take you to the other end of the globle (Send an eCard, at
the top of this page as I type).

And, what kind of an action is the Calendar button accomplish?



==
when in doubt, tell the truth
 - sam clemens


       
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