Do you include a sentence identifying the dialog name?

Subject: Do you include a sentence identifying the dialog name?
From: "Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 11:23:41 -0500

Gilda Spitz wonders: <<Let's say we have a dialog named "Change Password".
In our procedures, we insert a numbered step consisting of two sentences:
"Choose Database -> Password. The Change Password dialog appears.", followed
by a picture of the dialog. In the second sentence, there's an index marker
for the dialog name... We're thinking of ways to improve our text, both
to ensure the English is as good as possible, and to minimize translation
costs.>>

I typically mention the dialog box name only when I want to reinforce a
change of context for the reader, or when I introduce a graphic. I try to
avoid "X appears" phrasings because they beg the question "when does it
appear?" and more importantly, don't really add much: readers should know
where they are because after completing the previous step, the dialog box
appears--or it doesn't, and claiming that it appears will just worry the
less secure reader.

Where I need to name the dialog box, I do it as follows:
[Context: reader is already in one dialog box, midway through a long
procedure, and will now open a second dialog box:]
22. Click the "Options" button.
23. In the Options dialog box [screenshot follows], do...

This accomplishes two goals. First, it informs readers that they must now
work in a new dialog box, and not in the original dialog that provided
access to (in this case) the Options dialog. Second, it introduces the
screenshot. I don't consider either of these reasons crucial justifications
for mentioning the dialog, and most readers will do fine without these
prompts, but in my opinion, they smooth the transition into the new context.
At the cost of only five words, I don't consider this an unjustified
imposition on their patience.

--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
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