Using Fonts for Distinguish Items.....

[Dan Roberts <Dan_Roberts -at- IBI -dot- COM>]

I'm a TW in a group that documents a cross-platform (mvs, vm, unix, pc,
vms, as/400, mpe) product that supports heterogeneous db access.
Currently, each platform has its own version of 'core' text, with
additional platform-dependent installation and configuration instructions.

Currently, we use Times Roman for normal text. We use a Courier font to
distinguish various things, such as dataset names (mvs and cics), unix
userIDs and variables, command strings <when in running text>, and
command-line entries and responses. We use Helvetica to distinguish items
on GUI screens <buttons, menu items, field names>.

Our editorial staff has expressed concern over the use of the Courier and
Helvetica <it does something odd with line spacing in paragraphs> and they
have also noted that the group is inconsistent in applying these fonts
<mvs does one thing, unix another, pc a third>.

[Personally, I kinda like the Helvetica for GUI items. It helps
distinguish widgets in running text. Also, I think file names/member
names/dataset names and commands are fine in uppercase regular font - the
uppercase is distinction enough. However, unix - being case sensitive -
is a problem.]

Has anyone addressed issues like these, and come up with some sort of
convention, which we could either beg, borrow, or steal? Are there any
sort of industry standards that we don't know about and can apply?

So as to not clutter up the list, please send  responses to
dan_roberts -at- ibi -dot- com -dot-  I'll post a summary to the list when responses start
to die down.

Thanks in advance for the help!


Dan 'Fergus' Roberts
droberts -at- panix -dot- com
dan_roberts -at- ibi -dot- com