RE: Fields arranged as a sentence

Subject: RE: Fields arranged as a sentence
From: "David Downing" <DavidDowning -at- users -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 13:22:59 -0500


-----Original Message-----
From: LDurway -at- pav -dot- com [mailto:LDurway -at- pav -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 2:27 PM
Subject: Fields arranged as a sentence


I want a few opinions on GUI style.

I'm documenting a GUI operation that requires the user to enter several
arguments. The programmer has arranged these fields as a sentence, sort
of a
fill-in-the-blanks thingie. It looks like the following, where the
angle
brackets indicate the fields & the type of value that the field accepts:

If <variable-name> is <less-than/greater-than/equal-to> <number> then
generate <event-type>.

I find this type of style awkward to document.

Question: Do you consider this sentence style to be a good thing or a
bad
thing?

***

I think your programmer may have potential as a technical communicator.
He or she actually seems to understand that you need to talk to the end
user in English.




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Order RoboHelp X3 in November and receive $100 mail in rebate, FREE WebHelp
Merge Module and the new RoboPDF - add powerful PDF output functionality
to RoboHelp X3. Order online today at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l

Check out SnagIt - The Screen Capture Standard!
Download a free 30-day trial from http://www.techsmith.com/rdr/txt/twr
Find out what all the other tech writers, including Dan, already know!

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Previous by Author: Warning that I think should be there
Next by Author: RE: Scanning
Previous by Thread: RE: Fields arranged as a sentence
Next by Thread: Fields arranged as a sentence?


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


Sponsored Ads