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
Is there a rule for writing sub menu items?
Moderators: Alexander Halser, Tim Green
- Alexander Hompe
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am
- Location: Germany
- Tim Green
- Site Admin
- Posts: 23189
- Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
- Location: Bruehl, Germany
- Contact:
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.
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.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)
Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)
Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
- Alexander Hompe
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am
- Location: Germany
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 ...
But they are the orderer.
Thanks Tim,
Alex
Probably this will be our solution.If the programmers absolutely insist on the pipe character you should at least put spaces around it.
That's a very good idea!You might want to offer your programmers a deal: (...)
But they are the orderer.
Thanks Tim,
Alex
- Martin Wynne
- Posts: 2656
- Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 3:21 pm
- Location: West of the Severn, UK
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.
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.
- Dean Whitlock
- Posts: 577
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:59 pm
- Location: Thetford Center, Vermont USA
- Contact:
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.
Illigitimati non carborunum!
(don't let the bastards grind you down)
Dean
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.
Illigitimati non carborunum!
(don't let the bastards grind you down)
Dean
- John Waller
- Posts: 827
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:34 pm
- Location: Adelaide, South Australia
- Alexander Hompe
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am
- Location: Germany