Re: [TCP] Comma before clauses beginning with 'if

2010-03-29 Thread Chuck Beck
Hi all,

Have been fairly inactive for awhile, but now getting back in the swing of
things. So I decided to take a shot at this one, before I read anyone else's
responses...

To me, your example looks awkward, even incorrect. And, according to that
old stand-by, the Chicago Manual of Style, if the dependent clause (in this
case, beginning with the word if) is restrictive-that is, it cannot be
deleted without altering the meaning of the sentence-then a comma is not
required. If the dependent clause is nonrestrictive, meaning it *can* be
deleted without significantly altering the meaning of the statement, then it
is required. In this case, that would mean that the comma is not required or
expected.

In any case, I would counsel against constructing a statement, such as the
one you provided as an example, with the dependent clause at the end. I very
strongly feel that conditional statements should always, always, ALWAYS
place the condition *before* the action. Otherwise, the careless user (and
there are a LOT of them out there) will typically perform the action and
*then* read the condition and then go Oops! (or worse). So, I would never
write a statement for users like the one you provide as an example. FWIW...

Now I'll go read what others have opined.

Hope this helps, 
Chuck Beck
www.swan-cross.com

-Original Message-
From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On
Behalf Of raj nair
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 10:57
To: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: [TCP] Comma before clauses beginning with 'if


It is well-known that a comma is used if an if clause is at the beginning
of a sentence. Is there a rule, an exception, where the reverse is true?

For example, can this punctuation be right?

Select the statement cache size, if you get a warning mesaage. 

Please share your thoughts.
  
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Re: [TCP] Web Site Design

2009-05-18 Thread Chuck Beck
W3Schools.com

GREAT for learning the basics.
 

-Original Message-
From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On
Behalf Of Danny G.
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 23:04
To: Lisa Gielczyk
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: [TCP] Web Site Design

Hi Gang,
Been a while. I'm unemployed. Several people have asked me if I could make,
or update a web site for them. I've never worked on a web site in my life.

Would you all have any suggestions on how to learn the nuts and bolts of web
site design? I will enroll in a course at the local college for it but that
class doesn't start until August. What could I do until then?

Thank you.
Dan--Ft. Lauderdale




  
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Re: [TCP] Web Site Design

2009-05-18 Thread Chuck Beck
W3Schools.com teaches HTML, DHTML, XHTML, CSS, and a WHOLE lot more in a
very well designed tutorial format. A bit skimpy on the exercises, but you
can make your own. Plus, they have a whole series of Try it! pages. 

I simply can't recommend it highly enough.

Chuck Beck 

-Original Message-
From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On
Behalf Of Ed
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 15:25
To: 'Pinkham, Jim'; 'Danny G.'; 'Lisa Gielczyk'
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] Web Site Design

I'd say, if you want to (eventually) continue a career in tech writing,
learn HTML and CSS first. Almost all of our output these days is HTML-based,
and if you want to customize your help presentation at all, it's all about
CSS (or at least it is in Flare...). 

As Jim noted, there's a ton of free tools out there to play around. I'm sure
you could get a complete education watching videos on YouTube. But you may
want to take it offline and plan out exactly what you and your client want
to do with their web sites before diving into the code. Pen and paper are
still great tools, even in 2009.
-=Ed.

 -Original Message-
 From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-
 boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of Pinkham, Jim
 Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 2:17 PM
 To: Danny G.; Lisa Gielczyk
 Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
 Subject: Re: [TCP] Web Site Design
 
 A wide open question, Danny. Some ISPs have the capacity to build your
 own small site, which would be great practice. They may offer some
 cookie-cutter, pre-packaged templates to fill, but, hopefully, you
 would
 also have the chance to build and modify your own pages. If there's no
 luck there, you might consider a volunteer effort. There are some free
 tools out there -- Evrsoft First Page 2006, Kompozer, etc. -- that let
 you gain experience without expenditure :) Other programs, including
 Word and Publisher, have some capacity for building web pages. They
 could be a resource if you have them. Those in the know tend to opine
 that the code that comes out is cluttered, and that is probably true.
 But here, too, you can some design practice. Other tools, such as
 FrontPage and Dreamweaver, offer further functionality. At some point,
 you have to decide if you really want to learn to work with the guts of
 the code -- HTML, DHTML, CSS, etc. -- or if you'll be happy letting
 programs such as those mentioned do the heavy lifting, at some
 sacrifice
 to your flexibility and creativity. As time permits this summer, I'm
 trying to give myself an education in cascading style sheets, an
 approach that makes possible some pretty amazing work -- Google the
 Zen
 Garden if you want to get some ideas.
 
 That's my two cents, and I hope others will jump in.


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Re: [TCP] Web Site Design

2009-05-18 Thread Chuck Beck
Good deal! I'm very happy for you. 

Chuck Beck 

-Original Message-
From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On
Behalf Of Danny G.
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 21:41
To: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] Web Site Design

Thanks folks. Here's an example of what a difference a day can make.

I called the local Technical school and they have a web design course that I
can attend free due to my unemployed status. So I'm going for it.
Description follows. And they said as a student I can buy all this software
in a bundle for $400! I don't have experience in any of these applications.
So not only can I learn them but buy them really cheaply. One door closed
(my job) and another door opened (free online course because I'm
unemployed!).

Description:




Part of IT Program - Includes document processing,
information processing, XHTML, Flash MX, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Javascript,
photoshop and web Design. An Opportunity to Upgrade
Your Skills 24/7 through a Teacher Facilitated Online Course. 135 hours 

--- On Mon, 5/18/09, Chuck Beck cb...@swan-cross.com wrote:

From: Chuck Beck cb...@swan-cross.com
Subject: RE: [TCP] Web Site Design
To: 'Ed' hamonwr...@hotmail.com, 'Pinkham, Jim'
jim.pink...@voith.com, 'Danny G.' digitaldanny...@yahoo.com, 'Lisa
Gielczyk' l...@techcommpros.com
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
Date: Monday, May 18, 2009, 7:26 PM

W3Schools.com teaches HTML, DHTML, XHTML, CSS, and a WHOLE lot more in a
very well designed tutorial format. A bit skimpy on the exercises, but you
can make your own. Plus, they have a whole series of Try it! pages. 

I simply can't recommend it highly enough.

Chuck Beck 

-Original Message-
From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On
Behalf Of Ed
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 15:25
To: 'Pinkham, Jim'; 'Danny G.'; 'Lisa Gielczyk'
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] Web Site Design

I'd say, if you want to (eventually) continue a career in tech writing,
learn HTML and CSS first. Almost all of our output these days is HTML-based,
and if you want to customize your help presentation at all, it's all about
CSS (or at least it is in Flare...). 

As Jim noted, there's a ton of free tools out there to play around. I'm sure
you could get a complete education watching videos on YouTube. But you may
want to take it offline and plan out exactly what you and your client want
to do with their web sites before diving into the code. Pen and paper are
still great tools, even in 2009.
-=Ed.

 -Original Message-
 From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-
 boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of Pinkham, Jim
 Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 2:17 PM
 To: Danny G.; Lisa Gielczyk
 Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
 Subject: Re: [TCP] Web Site Design
 
 A wide open question, Danny. Some ISPs have the capacity to build your
 own small site, which would be great practice. They may offer some
 cookie-cutter, pre-packaged templates to fill, but, hopefully, you
 would
 also have the chance to build and modify your own pages. If there's no
 luck there, you might consider a volunteer effort. There are some free
 tools out there -- Evrsoft First Page 2006, Kompozer, etc. -- that let
 you gain experience without expenditure :) Other programs, including
 Word and Publisher, have some capacity for building web pages. They
 could be a resource if you have them. Those in the know tend to opine
 that the code that comes out is cluttered, and that is probably true.
 But here, too, you can some design practice. Other tools, such as
 FrontPage and Dreamweaver, offer further functionality. At some point,
 you have to decide if you really want to learn to work with the guts of
 the code -- HTML, DHTML, CSS, etc. -- or if you'll be happy letting
 programs such as those mentioned do the heavy lifting, at some
 sacrifice
 to your flexibility and creativity. As time permits this summer, I'm
 trying to give myself an education in cascading style sheets, an
 approach that makes possible some pretty amazing work -- Google the
 Zen
 Garden if you want to get some ideas.
 
 That's my two cents, and I hope others will jump in.


__
ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing
solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML
and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free
Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/


Interactive 3D Documentation
Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com
___

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tcp