Re: Invoke vs. Use

[Rose Wilcox <RWILC -at- FAST -dot- DOT -dot- STATE -dot- AZ -dot- US>]

Dave Johns sez:

>In the manuals I write for Windows-based programs, I USE  these verbs to
>describe the action of bringing a screen or dialog box to the monitor:
> invoke, bring up, or summon.  I do not use "use" because the user would
>have a hard time getting used to this use of "use."  However, I would like
>to start USING some verbs other than the three mentioned to refer to the
>process of getting something onto the screen--for the sake of variety.  Any
>ideas?

Hmm.  In our Windows-based programs, you "invoke" dialog boxes and
screens by selecting items from a menu, clicking on a button, or some
other action.  We use the terms "choose" or "select" to indicate these
actions, which can be accomplished either by pointing and clicking with
a mouse or tabbing to the item and pressing Enter on the keyboard.
(We document keyboard/mouse use in a separate entry-level subject
for those who are unfamiliar with the interface.)

After you select or choose your option, the screen or dialog box "displays".

Rose Wilcox
Roving Technical Writer
rwilc -at- fast -dot- dot -dot- state -dot- az -dot- us (work)
ncrowe -at- primenet -dot- com (home)

"If this sentence were in Chinese, it would say something else."
cited by Douglas R. Hofstadter