Is there a rule for writing sub menu items?

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Alexander Hompe
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Is there a rule for writing sub menu items?

Unread post by Alexander Hompe »

I am in a little conflict with my programmers.
When I have to describe a sub menu item, I write e.g. "File > Save as ..." - like Tim in his H&M help project.
My programmers write "File|Save as ..." and want me to do the same because they like it better. I don't like this because of the space in menu items which contain more than one word and the non-space between the menu items.

Is there any rule for this, maybe even a web site with some more of such directives?

Regards, Alex
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Tim Green
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Unread post by Tim Green »

Alex,

I don't think there's any hard and fast rules on this. As far as I can see the Microsoft Manual of Style doesn't mention it -- but given the abominable quality of all of Microsoft's documentation I wouldn't follow their example anyway.

Personally, however, I find the format File|Save As confusing and misleading. It's typographically cramped, which doesn't look good, and it contains no visual pointers at all to tell me that Save As might be subordinate to to File. If the programmers absolutely insist on the pipe character you should at least put spaces around it.

You might want to offer your programmers a deal: If you promise not to tell them how to write their code they must reciprocate by not telling you how to write documentation. 8)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

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Alexander Hompe
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Unread post by Alexander Hompe »

According to the Microsoft Manual of Style it seems not allowed to chain the menu items in any way. They only write "On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder." But I definitely will not write it always in that circuitous way ...

If the programmers absolutely insist on the pipe character you should at least put spaces around it.
Probably this will be our solution.
You might want to offer your programmers a deal: (...)
That's a very good idea! :-)
But they are the orderer.

Thanks Tim,
Alex
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Martin Wynne
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Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Hi Alex,

I also much prefer > . It is familiar to users from the "breadcrumb" navigation which often appears on web sites. The reason your programmers don't like it is that they are used to reading > as "greater than" which causes a temporary mental stumble when reading. Tell them that your users aren't programmers!

Alternatively, if this is a Windows application there are lots of arrows in the Wingdings font, and also Alt+0187 in the standard fonts.

Here's an experiment to see if Alt+0187 makes it through the forum: File » Save As...

It did. :) In H&M it might be better to use Insert » Special Character...

Martin.
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Dean Whitlock
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Unread post by Dean Whitlock »

Although it might not be a printed standard, the use of > to indicate menu options is quite prevalent in documentation, whereas I don't recall ever seeing the pipe used that way. Perhaps it's common among programmers, but > is the de facto standard in help. I would suggest that you tell them you performed an extensive survey of tech writers and user-oriented documentation and discovered that > is the norm.

Unfortunately, in my experience with programmers, I have found that using Latin or implying I might know more than they do about my own area of expertise only makes them truculent. :roll:

Illigitimati non carborunum!
(don't let the bastards grind you down)

Dean
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John Waller
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Unread post by John Waller »

Illigitimati non carborunum!
My favourite Latin quote:

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
- Whatever is said in Latin sounds profound.

:-)
Regards

John Waller
v.6.2.2 Build 2636
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Alexander Hompe
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Unread post by Alexander Hompe »

Thanks a lot for your strong arguments.

I told what Dean suggested and I'm allowed to write " > " now.
:D

My programmers are very likeable!

Alex
ivka
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Unread post by ivka »

Alexander Hompe wrote:
My programmers are very likeable!
"Communicating with engineers is just a little bit harder than communicating with the dead" :-D
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