Re: Sentence case or Title Case

Subject: Re: Sentence case or Title Case
From: "Cassandra Greer" <cassandra -at- greer -dot- de>
To: Janice Gelb <janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:32:29 +0200 (MEST)

Janice wrote:
> Title case - trying to document items in a GUI in
> running text is difficult without initial caps (e.g.,
> "Select the Run automatically after login checkbox").
(definition clash again! Title case vs Title case)

So far in my translations, I have been lucky that most GUI labels I've come
across at least start with a cap. If they don't I send a note telling the
engineers that it would be better if the labels were initial capped and why.
I usually have to anyway because the Englisch (sic) they have used needs
work. Nice engineers comply :) Snotty ones are more of a challenge...

Janice explained:
> Our internal style guide actually now allows writers
> to use initial caps for GUI items even if they're not
> used in the GUI for ease of reading, contradicting
> our previous rule that everything in the docs had to
> exactly match what was on screen. We decided that
> the possible chance of confusion between a capitalized
> label in the docs and a non-capitalized label that
> used the same words on the screen wouldn't be as
> likely as the confusion of trying to read an
> instruction in running text where the label was
> mostly lowercase.
Ach ja, the eternal question of whether the documentation should reflect the
actual GUI or should it be correct... Sometimes I have to make shotgun
decisions based on practicality because no one else is willing to but then I
also try to influence the original whenever possible...

> Cassandra Greer wrote:
> >
> > Plus some labels can get relatively long and would
> > look dorky all capped.
> >
Janice rightly commented:
> Any label that long should be rewritten, imho, and not
> just because it would look weird when capitalized! But
> convincing engineers to do that is an entirely separate
> (but all too common) problem.

Indeed! (argh)

Cass :)

--
Cassandra Greer
Technical Translation and Documentation
Spilhofstr. 16
81927 München
+49 (089) 94004794
cassandra (at) greer.de
cassandragreer (at) mac.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today!. http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
Re: Sentence case or Title Case: From: Janice Gelb

Previous by Author: Re: Sentence case or Title Case
Next by Author: RE: Friday Fun: What Pet Peeve makes you puke?
Previous by Thread: Re: Sentence case or Title Case
Next by Thread: Re: Sentence case or Title Case


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads