RE: How to explain clicking on a submenu

["Boudreaux, Madelyn (GE Healthcare, consultant)" <Madelyn -dot- Boudreaux -at- ge -dot- com>]

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?

The first is way too hard to follow, and has to be read backwards to be
followed, which is a bad idea. The 2nd is okay embedded in a reference,
but if you're actually describing the steps, break them down. 

1. Click the Home menu.
2. Click the Administrator menu.
3. Click the Contacts menu.
4. Click Reports. 

Anything more than 2 steps should probably be broken down. If you must
save space, you could write them in line:

Click the Home menu. Next, click the Administrator menu. Next, click the
Contacts menu. Finally, click Reports. 

You could use click, select, choose, or something else as per your
preference and selected style guide, but be consistent. (I always want
to mix it up, but creativity just ends up confusing some people.)

- Madelyn
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