Re: Conventions

[HBacheler -at- aol -dot- com]

I will assist in this, knowing that others will have additional  comments.  
 
I will use Suzette's questions as "Questions", My responses as  "Answers"

In a message dated 7/27/05 11:07:52 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
suzette -dot- leeming -at- gmail -dot- com writes:

How do you refer to/depict each of the following:

Question #1: - The name/title of a window (The Main Widget  Administration 
window)

Answer #1 (in 2 parts)
:  
               A) I would use the same title that the developer used 
                  for  the name/title.  I would use a font (and size) that is 
in alignment  with 
                   your documents standard font size (i.e., 10-pt, 12-pt, 
etc).
                   This would ensure that the reader of the document would 
have a direct 
                  correlation  between the document and the text in the 
window..
 
                B)  I would also ensure that the List of Figures, Tables, 
Examples 
                     in your table of contents (TOC) use the same information.

Question #2: -  A key on the keyboard (i.e., press Enter, or F1, etc.) (I 
used to
put in  square brackets and bold)

Answer #2:  -  All keyboard keys should be "all caps" and "BOLD"

Question #3: -  A button in the application (i.e., click  Continue)

Answer #3 - You can use a 'text box'  and have the text in Upper/Lower case, 
or  
possibly have a 'icon' with 'beveled edges

Question #4: - System and  Error messages (I usually use Courier)

Answer #4, in 2 parts:

A)   Screen/Monitor  documentation
If you are able to - capture the actual text that is displayed on the  
monitor,
and put it in your document - as is  (Snag It!  works.)

The font doesn't matter in that case  (WYSIWYG)

B)   Cautions, Warnings, Hazards in  documentation

Depending on the severity of the 'danger - loss of life, injury, and the  
like'

Create 'bannered text boxes',  with labels, in all caps, bold, such as  
'DANGER',
'HAZARD', 'CAUTION'.  You can shade the  banner.

Have the text of the bannered text box in a smaller font size.

Question  #5: - Text the user needs to type (Type:  /u/public)

Answer #5
 
                I would use Arial, or monospace, for the user's manual entry 
of  information.

For 'web' type information I would use following convention,  
using the < and >  signs.:

<< http://www.xxx.xxx  >>
 

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