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A couple more, but both too pedantic to be reasonable.--
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IBM Style Guide (Nov 2006):
--------------
Use "click" for mouse actions, but "select" and "clear" for actions on
check boxes.
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Apple (2006):
------------
You "click" to "select" or "deselect" an option. You can shorten this to
"select" without mentioning the "click".
Use "choose", not "select", for menu items. In general, the user selects
something (such as a disk icon, a graphic image, or a section of text)
and then chooses a command to act on the selection. Example: Choose File
> New > Mail Message.
Use "click" to describe the act of positioning the pointer on an object
onscreen and briefly pressing and releasing the mouse button. Donât use
"click on". (You donât click the mouse button, you press and release
it.) Because most users know what clicking is, you need to define it
only in documentation designed for beginning users, such as tutorials.
Icon: To open the Mail application,
click the Mail icon in the Dock.
Button: To show the toolbar, click
the Toolbar button in the
top-right corner of the window.
Disc icon: Click the disc icon, and then
choose File > Make Alias.
Unnamed elements: In the photo viewing area,
click the triangle next to the
film roll you want to view.
See also click in; press; select.
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I'm like Rob in that I just don't know anymore. The reasoning underlying
such fine distinctions did seem clear 25-30 years ago when GUIs were new
and super-credentialed experts were hired to design corporate style guides.
Today I don't see that it matters except where you're obliged to follow
your corporate style or else you know that your audience comes from the
tradion of Apple, MS, IBM, Digital, Sun, ....
Anyway, I can execute the default action for a menu item or link or
checkbox using the keyboard, so why is the vocabulary all about the
mouse? If I have to say 'click' then why not be clearer and say 'left
click'?
So in the 21st century, I trust the audience to figure out what I mean
when I write it simply:
1. Edit > Find > Replace > All
So far, I haven't ever been taken to task by unhappily lost readers who
don't know what it means unless it says "click" somewhere.
Where the target is a menu, button, or something with a speed key, I
might even underline the letter for the default speed key for each one,
to faciltate keyboarding instead of mousing.
Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
> -----Original Message-----
> On Behalf Of Rob Hudson
> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 1:56 PM
> To: techwr-l List
> Subject: Select, choose, click style guide
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Can someone suggest a good style guide that covers topics like "select
> vs. choose" and "click vs. click on"? I used to use the Microsoft Manual
> of Style, which recommended against using "select," but I'm not entirely
> sure anymore. I need a new bible.
>
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