Rewrite introductory statements such as:
label view
Do not use this term. Instead, use border area to refer to a labeled border area in a dialog box. LAN
When the context is clear, use the acronym instead of local area network. laser disc
(noun) last in, first out (LIFO)
Spell out on first occurrence. last in, last out (LILO)
Spell out on first occurrence. left justify
(verb) left-justified
(modifier) Always hyphenate. line slider
Do not use this term. Use slider instead. list
By extracting information from paragraphs into vertical form, lists enable readers to more quickly scan and comprehend related ideas. Particularly useful for information related by category or sequence, lists help to clarify, emphasize, and organize. When citing actual procedures, however, use steps rather than enumerated items in a list. For more information about presenting procedures, see "step" on page 71.
Introducing lists
Whether or not the introductory statement for the list is a complete sentence, terminate it with a colon. Place end punctuation on the individual list items whenever they can be read as a complete sentence.
When it becomes difficult to state the class definition concisely, its identity has probably expanded to encompass too much. You might address this problem by:
Phrases such as the following or as follows are often unnecessary. Use them with care.
Design the class from the point of view of the client, by first asking these fundamental design-oriented questions:
The classic example is as follows:
so that they are more straightforward:
The following are the two general exceptions:
In this tutorial, you will learn how to do the following:
This example is classic:
Sometimes using these phrases works into your introductory statement in a smooth and logical fashion:
There are two general exceptions:
In this tutorial, you will learn how to:
Routines that allocate or manage storage have special names and adhere to the following guidelines:
Also, if the examples do not immediately follow, do not use phrases such as the following or as follows.
To perform a portable hash, follow these rules:
The following example is classic:
Presenting items in a list
When presenting items in a list:
The Presentation Framework has these key responsibilities:
Rather than:
Write:
CommonPoint application
The Presentation Framework has these key responsibilities:
End grammatically complete and syntactically independent list items with the appropriate punctuation. Place terminal punctuation on clauses that complete the opening statement, if when read in isolation they appear independent.
CommonPoint application
Note that although the command's original execution is incremental, Undo and Redo are not incremental:
If you must use a mixed list, punctuate all list items as if they were full sentences.
To construct the document, CreateDocument must:
original position.
determined by adding the delta to the original position.
Locating the data outside the model:
Using bulleted lists
The CommonPoint frameworks provide:
Using numbered lists
Numbered list are useful for displaying alternatives or items chronologically. Use a numbered list to display two or more items of similar value when sequence is important. Numbered lists can easily be mistaken for instructions, so use them sparingly and avoid imperative verbs.
The IEEE standards allows implementations three ways to detect underflow:
See also "step" on page 71.
log in
(verb) login
(modifier, noun) log out
(verb) logout
(modifier, noun) look up
(verb) look-up
(modifier) low end
(noun) low-end
(modifier) lowercase
(modifier, noun) low level
(noun) low-level
(modifier) low resolution
(noun) low-resolution
(modifier)
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