Re: Word-a-Day: capplet, preference tool

[Calum Benson <Calum Benson Sun COM>]

On 11 Apr 2008, at 20:41, Shaun McCance wrote:

> Revised proposal
> ======================================================
> capplet
> Do not use.  Use either "preferences window" or
> "settings window" instead.
> ======================================================
> preferences window
> A small application that allows users to change their
> personal preference settings.  Use "preferences window"
> only to refer to them generically.  To refer to a
> specific preferences window, simply use the window
> title.
>
> Correct:
> To change the handedness of your mouse, open the
>  *Mouse Preferences*.

Personally, I think "open the Mouse Preferences window" reads better,  
but maybe that's just because it's what I'd normally write myself.  In  
general, I'd always write "the <window title> window", because it  
nearly always reads well regardless of what the window title actually  
is: the Inbox window, the Bookmarks window, the Mouse Preferences  
window...

> Incorrect:
> To change the handedness of your mouse, open the
>  *Mouse Preferences* preferences window.
> To change the handedness of your mouse, open the
>  *Mouse Preferences* capplet.

I agree these are both incorrect.

> When naming a preferences window, end the title with
> the word "Preferences", unless it does not fit with
> the rest of the title.  If the title ends with the
> word "Preferences", use this form for any buttons or
> launchers, but use the title without the word
> "Preferences" for the menu item in a Preferences menu.

Isn't this more of a HIG concern than a GDSG concern?

Cheeri,
Calum.

--
CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer       Sun Microsystems Ireland
mailto:calum benson sun com            GNOME Desktop Team
http://blogs.sun.com/calum             +353 1 819 9771

Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems