Re: Procedures (OK and cancel)

[CHRISTINE ANAMEIER <CANAMEIE -at- email -dot- usps -dot- gov>]

> If you write a procedure that ends in the user having to
> click OK to save or has the option of clicking Cancel to
> cancel everything, do you include the both in your instruction?

Your procedure tells how to complete a task--not how to bail out of it. (Not
that there's anything wrong with bailing out of it...) Assuming that the Cancel
button works as it does in other applications, I would omit "Cancel" from the
instructions. There are few things we can assume users already know, but I think
the Cancel button is one of those things.

On the other hand, if Cancel does something weird--e.g., if some changes are
saved instead of discarded, or if you have to click Cancel to return to a
previous menu/screen AFTER completing your task--then you'd better document it.

HTH,
Christine
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