RE: Name of Hardware Control?

[David Harrison <dharrison -at- moldmasters -dot- com>]

Command buttons? Control Buttons?

"Press the 'Begin' command button to commence the sequence etc etc"

My own solution in a similar setting was explain how the buttons change at the start of the manual (under "Navigation"). Then I adopted a standard through-out the instructions such as..

"Press [Pause] to hold the operation..."

Where [xxx] mean the appropriate little white button..




______________________________________________________________________
David Harrison | 
Mold-Masters (UK) Limited | Global Hot Runner and Temperature Control Technology
Netherwood Road | Rotherwas Ind. Est.
Hereford | HR2 6JU | United Kingdom | Company Registration Number: 1912861 
Tel: +44 (0) 1432 265 768 | Fax: +44 (0) 1432 263 782
mailto:dharrison -at- moldmasters -dot- com | www.moldmasters.com

______________________________________________________________________
Sent on 23.09.2011 16:33 by David Harrison

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dharrison=moldmasters -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dharrison=moldmasters -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Nancy Allison
Sent: 23 September 2011 15:19
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Name of Hardware Control?

I'm writing about a hand-held instrument that has a flat surface. No knobs or buttons protrude.
 
The instrument has a display panel and under it are four white circles that are printed on the flat surface of the instrument. There must be some kind of pressure sensor under each one that recognizes when you press on the circle. These circles line up with whatever text currently appears in the bottom row of the display. Example:
 
Begin      Pause     Options    Cancel
 
So, if I want to pause a process, I press the white circle under the word Pause. If I press the white circle under Options, an entirely new window may appear and the words at the bottom of the display may be
 
Edit ID    Calculate  Combine  Back
 
This is why the white circles have no printed names: their function changes with each change of the UI text.
 
What the heck do you call them? "Pushbutton" has been suggested and I may go with it. Are other terms in use?
 
Thanks!
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