Re: Use of "click"

[Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>]

In article <9606111434 -dot- AA09288 -at- pinochio -dot- cpu -dot- com>, Vanessa Wilburn
<vlwilburn -at- cpu -dot- com> writes:
|> This is my third help project and I'm wondering about the word "click." I
|> have seen it used in the following way in several software packages help
files:
|> "In the Go To What box, click the type of item."
|>
|> Is this awkward sounding, or is it just me? I found this to be fairly
|> prevalent in most Windows applications. Is there a better way?

[...]

You can simply instruct people to "select" and item, or with more words,
"select an item by clicking on it".

In online help, most people know what it means to click on something, so
you are saving some words by just going with popular usage. I used to
use "select" in paper doc when describing program behavior in a
platform- and device- independent manner. I could never be sure if the
reader actually *had* a mouse to click on something at her installation.

However, in windows applications in online help, "just say click".

Cordially,
--
Len Olszewski           My opinions; you go get your own.
saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com

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