On 2/13/2010 6:29 PM, Claire Wood wrote:
Jean
There are a number of graphics and text mismatches, unless I've got
the meanings of dialog and dialogue confused. I always thought
"dialogue" was the UK version of dialog.
On the following pages either the text says "dialog" and the graphic
says "dialogue" or, certainly on one, I've changed dialog to dialogue
as in the style guide it says to replicate the screen options, but I'd
advise that something be standardised or else a kindly reminder goes
out to keep dialog/dialogue spelt in a certain way, because it could
be confusing to someone who has English as a second language or
doesn't have very good English.
I've marked the pages with the Need Help marker and given a brief
description in the marker to save time. I've also listed the pages
below:
The first Graphic has had the text changed to replicate what the image says.
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Getting_Started/Open_and_Save_As_dialogs
In the first graphic "dialogue" mentioned and if you scroll down to
General Options, that graphic also has "dialogue" in it.
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Getting_Started/Choosing_options_for_all_of_OOo
With the next graphic, I don't have a graphics package, just a screen
capture tool, so I couldn't add the numbers. Can anyone help please?
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Getting_Started/Parts_of_a_dialog
I need help with the templates because I couldn't get the template
message to come up when you edit a template. So the accuracy needs
checking and I've flagged it as I couldn't check whether the macro was
still relevant.
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/Getting_Started/Editing_a_template
I found that a large amount of my time was spent putting in links and
amending references to the Guides - real pain.
I've just been working through the Getting Started Wiki Guide and
tonight I've got as far as the Getting Started with Impress and will
start that tomorrow as I'm too tired now.
I'm on a course from Monday to Thursday so if no-one else can do the
rest of the Getting Started wiki I'll pick it up again on Friday.
Claire
Jean can give her own account, so I am not speaking for her...
I must profess ignorance about any style guide other than the ones used
by OOoAuthors. But for their user guides, most or all of the spelling
follows US English, where there are differences between US and UK
English. The punctuation used is mostly US English, similar to The
Chicago Manual of Style and others like it. But the only major
difference lies in the close quotation mark usage. For that reason, I
avoid using quotation marks in general and have altered the former "See
to" in the older user guides that contained quotation marks to
parentheses--to avoid this issue.
In addition, in copyediting the user guides, I note the distinction in
US usage pertaining to that/which--an issue that is relatively
unimportant in much UK usage. However, since the that/which distinction
is taught in practically all US schools (and the Brits generally do not
care...), I follow the US custom so as not to differ from US practice,
in that regard.
As to dialog box: If "dialogue" pops up, I simply change them to
"dialog". I always use the term "dialog box" whenever referring to the
"dialog box" GUI component and always name the particular dialog box
instead of simply stating that "a dialog box opens." Also, with all GUI
components, I try to use the exact terms and not abbreviate them to,
say, "dialog" without the box. Some writers use the term "drop-down" (or
"dropdown") by itself when referring to a "drop-down list". Again, the
Wikipedia uses the two-word version "drop-down list". Most style guides
used by most (all?) of the major software developers are very consistent
among themselves in strict GUI-component usage and mandate "dialog box"
over "dialog" whenever referring to the GUI component, but may
occasionally use "dialog" (by itself) when referring to a dialog (a
two-way conversation).
The Wikipedia has a decent account for dialog (or dialogue) box:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialog_box
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In graphical user interfaces </wiki/Graphical_user_interface>, a
*dialog* (or *dialogue*) *box* is a special window
</wiki/Window_%28computing%29>, used in user interfaces to display
information </wiki/Information> to the user, or to get a response if
needed. They are so-called because they form a dialog between the
computer and the user---either informing the user of something, or
requesting input from the user, or both. It provides controls that allow
you to specify how to carry out an action.
Dialog boxes are classified as modal
</wiki/Mode_%28computer_interface%29> or modeless, depending on whether
they block interaction on the application </wiki/Application_software>
that triggered the dialog. Different types of dialog boxes are used for
different sorts of user interaction </wiki/User_interaction>.
The simplest type of dialog box is the *alert </wiki/Alert_dialog_box>*,
which displays a message and requires only an acknowledgment (by
clicking 'OK' usually) that the message has been read. Alerts are used
to provide simple confirmation of an action, or include program
termination notices or confirmation due to crashing
</wiki/Crash_%28computing%29> or intentional closing by user. Though
this is a frequent interaction pattern
</wiki/Interaction_design_pattern> for modal dialogs, it is also
criticised by usability </wiki/Usability> experts as being ineffective
for its intended use (protection against errors in destructive
actions)^[1] <#cite_note-0> and for which better alternatives exist.^[2]
<#cite_note-1>
Gary
--
Gary Schnabl
Southwest Detroit, two miles NORTH! of Canada--Windsor, that is...
Technical Editor forum <http://TechnicalEditor.FreeForums.org>
LinkedIn profile <http://www.linkedin.com/in/garyschnabl>
Elance profile
<http://www.elance.com/php/profile/main/eolproviderprofile.php?userid=1892120&catid=100&edit=true&from=myelance>
