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Subject:RE: Fields arranged as a sentence From:"David Downing" <DavidDowning -at- users -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 20 Nov 2002 13:22:59 -0500
-----Original Message-----
From: LDurway -at- pav -dot- com [mailto:LDurway -at- pav -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 2:27 PM
Subject: Fields arranged as a sentence
I want a few opinions on GUI style.
I'm documenting a GUI operation that requires the user to enter several
arguments. The programmer has arranged these fields as a sentence, sort
of a
fill-in-the-blanks thingie. It looks like the following, where the
angle
brackets indicate the fields & the type of value that the field accepts:
If <variable-name> is <less-than/greater-than/equal-to> <number> then
generate <event-type>.
I find this type of style awkward to document.
Question: Do you consider this sentence style to be a good thing or a
bad
thing?
***
I think your programmer may have potential as a technical communicator.
He or she actually seems to understand that you need to talk to the end
user in English.
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