RE: How to explain clicking on a submenu

Subject: RE: How to explain clicking on a submenu
From: "Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>
To: "Rob Hudson" <caveatrob -at- gmail -dot- com>, "techwr-l List" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:49:40 -0600

Rob Hudson wrote:

> If you are clicking the Reports menu of the Contacts menu of the
> Administrator menu of the Home menu, do you say:
>
> 1) Choose Reports from the Contacts Menu of the Administrator menu of
> the Home menu, or
> 2) Choose Home>Administrator>Contacts>Reports?
>
> Or is there a better alternative?

Option (1) is bad because it puts the first thing I need to find at the
end of the sentence.

I use (2), but with spaces on either side of the angle brackets (to
allow the line to wrap if necessary). And depending on application,
audience, etc., I use "select" or "go to."

For three or fewer levels (4 becomes awkward), another good option is:

"On the Home menu, point to Administrator, and then select Reports."

Notice the "and then." ;-)

Richard


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------








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References:
How to explain clicking on a submenu: From: Rob Hudson

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