RE: Before or After

["Handy, David" <dhandy -at- Informatica -dot- com>]

Brian,
Can I take it your user is looking at a dialog box with several
properties that they have to set? If so, have you considered using a
table to list those properties and summarize what they do? Something
like:

Property		Required		Description
--------		--------		-----------
Codes list box	Yes			Lists procedures to run on
source data
Run			Yes			Runs the procedure 

[I hope that's legible]

Then you can follow the table with steps omitting the "in the Codes box"
text. I prefer that, as it lets the procedure talk directly to what the
user really wants to do - 

David


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Brian Neale
Sent: 07 April 2009 04:54
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Before or After

When directing Users to perform a task, do you tell  them "what to do"
before telling them "where to do it", or vice versa.  

For example:

 

"Double-click on the procedure you want to use in the Codes list box."

 

Or

 

"In the Codes list box, double-click on the procedure you want to use."

 

Thank you.

 

Brian

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