Technical Writing – Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation (3), WINDOW Parts
We continue with Part 3 in our survey of the most important user interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.
NOTE: This series is limited to the Windows interface only.
A WINDOW consists of the following parts:
TITLE BAR is the long rectangle (and usually BLUE) frame on the TOP of a window. On the left corner, the Title Bar displays the TITLE of the Window, which is the text typed in between the opening and closing “title” tags in the HTML source code.
On the right corner of the Title Bar you;d have three buttons: MINIMIZE (minus sign), MAXIMIZE (square icon), and the CLOSE button (the “X” icon).
Right under the Title Bar, you have the MENU BAR which includes the all-too familiar File, Edit, View, Format, Tools, Window, Help, etc. MENU ITEMS.
When you click each menu item, a LIST of MENU OPTIONS display.
IMPORTANT: Menu Items and their linear arrangement may change depending on the user configuration. Don’t expect to see the same menu items in the same spot on every Windows Menu Bar.
To summarize, you need to pay attention to the following three menu-related concepts and use them consistently in your technical documents: menu BAR; menu ITEM; and menu OPTION.
Remember this about the menus as well: when you right-click on a screen element you may launch a POP-UP MENU. And sometimes Menu Options will have labels followed by a right-pointing triangle which means there is another CASCADING MENU hiding under that menu option. When you hover your mouse pointer over the triangle, the respective cascading menu will be revealed. The pop-up menus may have their own respective cascading menus as well.
After the Menu Bar, comes the TOOL BAR which displays the graphic ICONS of various Windows functions. For example, you can print the document displayed in the open window by clicking the PRINTER icon on the Tool Bar, as well as selecting the Print command option from the FILE Menu Item.
IMPORTANT: Tool Bar icons and their linear arrangement may change depending on the user configuration. Don’t expect to see the same tool icons in the same spot on every Windows Tool Bar.
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