RE: What is This Functionality Called?

["Cook, Jenise" <jenise -dot- cook-crabbe -at- pacificlife -dot- com>]

Hi, Carol Anne: From one life insurance tek writer to another (congrats on
your FLMI and CL!)... we had a similar field, and we used the term
"auto-populated." What do you think about this?

========== brilliant tek writer suggestion (it's Friday before a holiday
weekend in the U.S. ============

The State field has an auto-population feature that allows you to scroll
through a drop-down list of states by typing the first letter of the state
name. The following steps provide an example of this feature.

1. Type M.
   
   The field displays the first state name that begins with M.

2. Type M again.

   The field displays the second state name that begins with M.

Continue typing M to scroll through the list of names that begin with M
until you find the state name you need. 

(Then, say something about how to populate the field with the desired state
name, such as pressing ENTER, if that's what the program does.)

========= no applause, just send money
=================================================================

This example may be too simplistic. You know your audience and can adjust
accordingly. Hope it triggers some ideas on your end. Good luck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenise Cook-Crabbe (studying for FLMI)
Sr. Technical Writer
Field Training, Client Services
Pacific Life Insurance Co.
jenise -dot- cook-crabbe -at- pacificlife -dot- com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opinions are mine and mine alone,
and do not reflect my employer's opinions.

-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Anne T. Wall [mailto:mmpc0014 -at- pclink -dot- com]
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2001 1:38 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: What is This Functionality Called?


I have a new "what's this function's name" question.  You guys were so 
helpful with "auto-fill", I thought I'd pick your brains again.

Disclaimer:  Yes, I have checked the MS Manual of Style and have picked the 
brains of my programmers.  We're all stumped.

Question:  What do you call the function where you type a letter and the 
first item in your combo box that corresponds to that letter displays.  If 
you select that letter again, the next item with that same letter displays, 
if there is a second item in your list.  The users want this functionality 
documented, but it's hard to document something you can't name.

Example:  A combo box that lists the states of the United States.  If I 
press "M", I will get the first state that starts with the letter "M".  If 
I keep pressing "M", each subsequent state displays (or is highlighted) in 
the combo box.

TIA for your help!

Carol Anne


Carol Anne Wall, FLMI, CL
Technical Writer, Minnesota Life Ins. Co. - Individual Business Technology
St. Paul, MN  USA
mmpc0014 -at- pclink -dot- com

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