Referencing Sheridan Controls

[Graham Tillotson <graham -at- MEGSINET -dot- NET>]

I am documenting a custom VB application that uses the Sheridan ActiveX
controls. One of the controls is the ActiveList, which most of us know from
the Outlook 98 interface, and the other is a TreeView control that shows
topics and subtopics in a hierarchy.

My question is this--has anyone dealt with naming conventions for these
controls in product/training documentation? If so, I would appreciate
suggestions because I am trying to establish names that the audience will
understand, and at the same time I am trying to avoid awkward and clumsy
phrasing.

For the ActiveList, Microsoft calls the whole of the control the Outlook
Bar, and within that bar you have Groups (the horizontal bars that scale up
and down), and within Groups you have Shortcuts. This terminology seems
reasonable, and I like the idea that it is consistent with Microsoft
conventions (those of you who flame on standards, calm down . . . ).

For the TreeView, Sheridan refers to RootNode and Node and obviously these
won't fly with end users. Currently I am calling the entire control a Topic
Tree, and within that Topic Tree you have Topics and Subtopics.

Any comments on experience with these controls would be appreciated.

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Graham Tillotson, Senior Consultant
Whittman-Hart, Inc.      Chicago, IL
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