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.
> It doesn't help that you don't have a complete sentence. A missing subject
> can cloud anyone's perception of how the language is used.. While this
> style is common in API docs, just know that the comma rules should
> technically follow a proper sentence structure.
Implied subjects aren't limited to imperative sentences. I think most grammarians would agree that if the implied subject is clear from the context, the sentence is just fine. That's the case not just in API docs or Karen's table of algorithms, but in any table or list of items followed by descriptions of what they do.
| Accelerator | Makes the car go forward.
| Brake pedal | Makes the car stop.
The implied subject of each sentence on the right is the term on the left.
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
New! Doc-to-Help 2013 features the industry's first HTML5 editor for authoring.
