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combo box
Technical term for the dialog box option that's a text box with an attached
list box. Do not use the term in end-user documentation. Use the name of the
box with the word box instead, as in "the Font box."
enter (v)
Do not use as a synonym for type except to indicate that a user can either
type or click a selection from, say, a list in a combo box.
[an example]
In the File name box, enter the name of the file.
Combo box: Text box with a list box attached. The list is always visible.
Because users can either type or select their choice, you can use enter to
describe the action. Follow your project style sheet.
Examples
In the Font box, type or select the font you want to use.
? or ?
In the File Name box, enter a file name.
LIST BOX STUFF
list box
Two words. List box is a generic term for any type of dialog box option
containing a list of items the user can select. In text and procedures,
refer to a list box by its label and the word list, not list box. For the
Macintosh, use "pop-up list" to refer to unnamed list boxes.
Correct
In the Wallpaper list, click Bubbles.
In the pop-up list, click Microsoft Excel. [Macintosh only]
Incorrect
In the Wallpaper list box, click Bubbles.
drop-down (adj)
Use only if necessary to describe how an item such as a menu works or what
it looks like. Acceptable in technical documentation if necessary to
describe the type of item, as in drop-down arrow, drop-down combo box, or
drop-down list box.
List box: Any type of box containing a list of items the user can select.
The user cannot type a selection in a list box. Depending on the type of
list, use either list or box, whichever is clearer.
Example: In the Wallpaper list, click the background wallpaper of your
choice.
SPIN BOX STUFF
spin box
Control that lets users move ("spin") through a fixed set of values, such as
dates. Use only in technical documentation. Use the name of the specific box
in end-user documentation ? for example, the Start time box.
Spin box: (do not use spinner or other labels) Text box with up and down
arrows that the user clicks to move through a set of fixed values. The user
can also type a valid value in the box.
Example: In the Date box, type or select the part of the date you want to
change.
