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Subject:Re: Dialog box/Screen/Window From:Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:24:02 +1000
Tariel, Lauren R wrote:
> I've previously mentioned my loathing of the term "appears"
> in documentation. I really do not see a great difference
> between the phrases, "the window is displayed" and "the
> window appears." The first is passive and the second sounds
> like the *window* is doing something.
>
Why does it sound like the window is doing something?
It's describing what the user will perceive: you click
a button and a window appears.
>
> My convention when refering to these windows is to
> say something to the effect of, "Click <widget> to
> open the <dealybob> window." When "dealybob" is called
> "Open," then there is a minor issue, but the names of "open"
> windows for me are usually "File Open" windows or some such.
>
Our style guide specifically advises against this
wording. The user is not really clicking the widget
to open the window ("Hey, cool window!"). The user
is clicking the widget to accomplish something:
Choose File->Print to print your document.
The Print dialog box appears.
-- Janice
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