TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: What is the best term to use? From:Jan Cohen <najnehoc -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:Lauren <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>, Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>, techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:56:02 -0700 (PDT)
An applet is actually a Java application that is downloaded to the user's browser and executed by the browser's Java Virtual Machine (JVM). In that sense it is not a stand-alone application. But I'd be careful about calling "tabs" in any user interface "applet tabs," or something along those lines, because when the user selects such a tab, they are really executing the applet itself. If you must bring up the applet in your documentation, my recommendation would be something along the lines of "clicking on the xyz tab executes the xyz applet." Or in Zen's original case, "restrict the functionality of the XYZ applet to read only access by..."
As for poorly written applets, I have to sympathize with you. For the most part, they've gotten better over the years, but were real buggy earlier on, especially when it came to causing memory leaks. Of course, "better" is a subjective word, and if they're written poorly, even today, well, gigo tends to come to mind.
jan c.
----- Original Message ----
From: Lauren <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>
To: Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 11:29:58 PM
Subject: RE: What is the best term to use?
The application that I'm dealing was poorly designed. The application
receives a great deal of criticism. I think that the application could
have
been designed a little better, but I am not in a position to change the
design of the application. It is a web application based in Siebel and
running of an Oracle database. I think Siebel is responsible for
calling
the tabs applets. However, there are times when the applets really do
not
serve any application-like function that an applet would normally
serve.
The nomenclature here may be a little unstable, but as I've said
before, if
a tab provides operational functional, then it is probably best
referred to
as an applet. If it merely sets parameters or some other option, then
it is
probably a tab. Since Zen mentioned that the tabs provided functions
(rather than parameters) I followed the idea that the tabs may be a
little
more operational rather than supportive as merely places to set
parameters.
Lauren
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of Janice Gelb
> Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 8:19 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: What is the best term to use?
>
> Lauren wrote:
> >> From: Janice Gelb
> >
> >> I would definitely advise against calling the discrete
> >> entities "applications" as I think users pretty much
> >> think of an "application" as the whole shebang. And
> >> "applet" has a pretty specific technical meaning too,
> >> I think.
> >
> > Applet refers to an application within an application.
> Beyond that, there
> > really isn't a great deal of specifity in the term.
> >
> [snip]
> >
> > We need to remain flexible as web technology grows and
> accept that we will
> > need new terms or new definitions to old terms, but, as technical
> > communicators, we also need to remain ardent in maintaining
> cogent terms for
> > elements within web applications, or any application. How
> do we communicate
> > a thing, any *thing*, if every application developer has a
> different name
> > for the thing? I think that in this case, the technical
> communicator has a
> > bit of duty to determine the term that is used.
> >
>
> I have to agree. Most of the definitions I've found
> for "applet," however, don't seem to be congruent with
> using the term to mean any application within another
> application. See http://www.answers.com/topic/applet
>
> It certainly means an application running within the
> framework of another application but in the context
> in which Zen asked the question, I don't think that
> the term "applet" is appropriate. You might be using
> it in your interface but I still think that technically
> it's not what Zen described. Even the most general
> definition says "An applet usually performs a very narrow
> function that has no independent use." That doesn't seem
> to me to fit a term to be used for several different
> collections of grouped options.
>
> -- Janice
>
> ***********************************************************
> Janice Gelb | The only connection Sun has with
> janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com | this message is the return address
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- Janice
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help
> file formats or
> printed documentation. Features include support for Windows
> Vista & 2007
> Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
>http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu -dot-
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit
>http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/lt34%40csus.edu
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
>http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats
or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista &
2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as najnehoc -at- yahoo -dot- com -dot-
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
