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Re: WG: Newbie question - GUI terminology

Subject: Re: WG: Newbie question - GUI terminology
From: Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: Christine Hüttmann - transdoc <info -at- transdoc-translations -dot- de>
Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2006 19:57:35 -0400

Christine Hüttmann - transdoc wrote:


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Christine Hüttmann - transdoc
[mailto:info -at- transdoc-translations -dot- de]
Gesendet: Montag, 9. Oktober 2006 00:20
An: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Betreff: Newbie question - GUI terminology



Dear all,

We are currently translating an online Help into English and have a couple
of questions. Any help from experienced writers is much appreciated.

1) Does a dialogue box, window or message box appear or open?

It's "dialog," not "dialogue box" (by general convention), and I prefer "open" for at least windows and dialogs, although some people prefer "appear." I'm not sure what the popularity breakdown is on message boxes (called that in internal development documents but just called messages in end user doc). I tend to use "pops up" for a message box, but I may not be speaking for a majority on that one.

2) What is the button next to the "Look in" box, for example, called?
Is it a toolbar button although there is no "toolbar" or is it a tool
button?

Are you talking about a Browse button, perhaps?


There a different types of this button, e.g. a button with a calendar. When
you click on it a calendar "opens (appears)where you can select a date.
The Microsoft Manual of Style is not very helpful here (I also doubt that
Microsoft's recommendations should be followed strictly).

Or are you talking about a button with an ellipsis (...) on it? I would give the button a name that reflects its purpose and show a picture of it somewhere. For example, if the ellipsis button opens the calendar control, I'd call it the Calendar button. If it opens a color picker, I'd call it the Color Picker button.

That's my two cents. Others may differ.

Dick

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WG: Newbie question - GUI terminology: From: Christine Hüttmann - transdoc

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