To accommodate the worldwide audience, use the 24-hour time notation if you can. Use 00:00, not 24:00, to indicate midnight. If you must use A.M. and P.M., use capital letters and periods.
Using 12:00 A.M. or 12:00 P.M. to refer to noon or midnight is confusing. If you are consistently using 24-hour notation, 00:00 and 12:00 are unambiguous. In any case, just specifying noon or midnight is sufficient.
Microsoft style
The meeting is at noon.
The show begins at 19:00 Pacific Time (UTC-8).
The date changes at exactly midnight.
See also midnight, Time zones.
Adjectives ending in -able or -ible take their meaning from the passive sense of the stem verb from which they are formed. For example, forgettable means susceptible to, capable of, or worthy of being forgotten, not of forgetting. The same is true of words whose stem word is derived from a language other than English. For example, portable, which comes from the Latin portare (to carry), means capable of being carried.
With familiar words, this rule goes without saying. However, people sometimes coin new -able words, incorrectly intending them to take the active sense of the stem word. For example, bootable disk is defined as a disk that can start (boot) the operating system.
If you must create a new word with one of these suffixes, follow these guidelines to determine the correct spelling:
For stem words that end in -ce or -ge, retain the final e to maintain the soft sound: bridgeable, changeable.
For stem words that end in -e, drop the final e and add -able: scalable.
For stem words that end in -y, change the y to i and add -able: reliable. An exception is that when y is part of a diphthong, just add -able: playable, employable.
For verbs that end in a consonant, double the final consonant only if the participial form of the verb also takes a double consonant before the suffix: bidding, biddable; forgetting, forgettable. An exception is that words formed from verbs ending in -fer always take a single consonant: transferable.
The suffix -able is much more common than -ible. Do not coin words ending in -ible. For a detailed discussion of the use of -ible, see Fowler’s Modern English Usage by R. W. Burchfield (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).
International considerations
If you are not sure how to spell a word that ends in –able or –ible, look it up in The American Heritage Dictionary. If you cannot find it, think about writing around the word. Coinages and uncommon word formations can be problems for the worldwide audience.
Do not use in content for a general audience. Instead, use end to refer to ending communications and network connections, exit for programs, stop for hardware operations, and cancel for requests and processes. If abort appears in a user interface that you cannot edit, it is all right to refer to abort, but use one of the preceding alternative terms to describe the user action.
It is all right to use abort in content for a technical audience if it is part of a function name, parameter name, or some other element of the application programming interface.
Microsoft style
To end your server connection, click Disconnect Network Drive on the Tools menu.
If you exit Setup, the program will not be installed successfully.
To stop a print job before it is finished, click Cancel.
The class driver calls the minidriver’s StrMiniCancelPacket routine to signal that a stream request has been canceled.
Not Microsoft style
To abort your server connection, click Disconnect Network Drive on the Tools menu.
Your game has been aborted. To continue, click Load Last Saved Game.
Do not use to mean earlier. Do not use as an adjective preceding a noun, as in “the above section,” or following a noun, as in “the code above.” Use a hyperlink instead. If you cannot use a hyperlink, use previous, preceding, or earlier. See also below, Cross-references, later.
Microsoft style
See What is a copyright?
See “Connecting to the network,” earlier in this chapter.
The following illustration shows the output of the preceding code.
Obsolete term. Use keyboard shortcut instead. In content for software developers, it is all right to use shortcut key if it is necessary to distinguish from an access key. See also access key, shortcut key.
It is all right to use access as a verb to mean obtain access to. Although this usage is grating to many editors, it is well established in the context of computers.
Do not use access to mean start, create, or open. Use a more specific verb or phrase instead. See also start, switch.
Microsoft style
Start the program either from the Start menu or from Windows Explorer.
You can access your personal data from the company intranet.
You can create shortcuts to quickly switch to programs that you use often.
Services that you provide must be configured so that users can access them.
Not Microsoft style
Access the program either from the Start menu or from Windows Explorer.
You can create shortcuts to quickly access programs that you use often.
Do not use in content for a general audience. Use keyboard shortcut instead. See also keyboard shortcut, key names, key sequence, shortcut key.
Access key is all right to use in content for software developers or in content about customizing the user interface to distinguish between an access key and a shortcut key. In such cases, use access key to denote a key sequence that is used to access a menu item, and provide a definition.
Reserve accessible and accessibility to refer to things that all people, including those with disabilities, can easily use.
Do not use accessible as a synonym for simple. Instead, use terms such as easy to learn, easy to use, or intuitive, or refer to the specific characteristics that make something easy to use, such as intelligent Help system. See also assistive; Chapter 4.
Microsoft style
A range of enhancements makes multimedia products easier to install and use and provides a great platform for home entertainment.
The availability of high-contrast color schemes enhances the program’s accessibility for visually impaired users.
Not Microsoft style
A range of enhancements makes multimedia products more accessible and provides a great platform for home entertainment.
Use as a general category for programs such as Notepad, Paint, Tablet PC Input Panel, and Sticky Notes that appear in the Accessories folder of the Windows Start menu. It is all right to use program or accessory program to refer to such programs.
Do not refer to accessory programs as utilities. Do not make references such as “the Notepad accessory.” Use the program name by itself. See also tool.
Microsoft style
Windows includes a number of accessories to help you perform routine tasks.
Notepad is a basic text editor.
Not Microsoft style
Refers to an accomplishment that is formally recognized by a game or other program, and that is sometimes represented by a virtual badge, star, medal, or other reward for the person who earned it. Use title capitalization for achievement names. If it follows the name, use lowercase for the word achievement.
For Microsoft games, achievement should be used only if it is awarded in a player’s Xbox LIVE gamer profile. Any other accomplishments that are tracked by a game should not be referred to as achievements. See also badge.
Microsoft style
You just earned the Superstar achievement!
Take a bow—you’ve earned your Superstar.
Not Microsoft style
You just earned the superstar achievement!
Do not spell with an e between the g and the m. For a section acknowledging the contributions of other people, use the plural Acknowledgments even if there is only one.
Do not use unless you have no other choice.
Microsoft style
Ensure that the team has access to information that they can act on.
The problem should be clearly defined and easily solvable.
Aggregate customer data to make it easier to act on.
Aggregate customer data to make it more conducive to action.
Not Microsoft style
Ensure that the team has access to actionable information.
The problem should be clearly defined and actionable.
Aggregate customer data to make it more actionable.
Use only to indicate the action of verifying that a software product is a legal copy and is installed in compliance with the Microsoft Software License Terms.
Microsoft style
If you have not yet activated Windows 7, you can initiate activation at any time by clicking the Windows Activation icon in the notification area.
Do not use activate as a synonym for open, start, or switch to.
Refers to a person who is currently being tracked or recognized by a motion sensor or camera.
Microsoft style
When the game ends, the active player’s score will be displayed.
Not Microsoft style
When the game ends, the score of the player in the camera’s view will be displayed.
Use active or open, not current, to refer to open and operating windows, programs, documents, files, devices, or portions of the screen (such as an “open window” or “active cell”). However, use current to refer to a drive, directory, folder, or other element that does not change in the context of the discussion.
Note
If active causes confusion with ActiveX, try to write around it. For example, be as specific as possible in naming an active element.
Microsoft style
Change the formula in the active cell.
To switch between open documents, on the Window menu click the document you want to switch to.
Windows Explorer indicates the current folder.
Do not use ad hoc unless you have no other choice. It means “established only for the specific purpose or case at hand.” See also Latin and other non-English words.
In general, do not use adapter to describe hardware that supports connecting a computer to a peripheral device such as a monitor, speakers, or a camera. Use card instead to describe hardware that connects a computer to a device, even if the hardware is built into the motherboard. However, do use network adapter to describe hardware that supports connecting a computer to a network. See also board, card, network adapter, video card.
Microsoft style
network adapter
Not Microsoft style
graphics adapter
sound adapter
video adapter
In general, do not use add to refer to installing software. Use install instead. See also install, remove.
Use add-in to refer to software that adds functionality to a larger program, such as the Analysis ToolPak in Microsoft Excel. Add-in can also refer to a driver or a user-written program that adds functionality to a larger program, such as a wizard, a builder, or a menu add-in.
Use add-on to refer to a hardware device such as an expansion board or external peripheral equipment, such as a CD-ROM player, that is attached to the computer.
In content for a general audience, use these terms primarily as modifiers. For example, say “add-in program” or “add-on modem.”
Do not use if you can use multiple selection instead. All right to use if you must emphasize that the selected items are adjacent to each other. Do not use contiguous selection. See also multiple selection, nonadjacent selection.
Use administrator or system administrator unless you must specify a particular kind of administrator, such as a network administrator or a database administrator.
Do not capitalize administrator except in the phrase Administrator program. Capitalize Administrators only to refer to the Administrators group that is a part of Windows security.
As nouns and verbs, affect and effect are often confused. Part of the problem is that the verb affect can be defined as “to have an effect on.”
Microsoft style
Deleting a link on the desktop does not affect the actual program.
Not Microsoft style
Deleting a link on the desktop does not effect the actual program.
The verb effect means “to bring about.”
Microsoft style
Good software design can effect a change in users’ perceptions.
Not Microsoft style
Good software design can affect a change in users’ perceptions.
As a noun, effect means “result.” The noun affect is a term in psychology and should not be needed in content about software.
Microsoft style
The effect of the change was minimal.
Not Microsoft style
The affect of the change was minimal.
Do not use to refer to running or building a program on a particular platform or operating system. Use on instead.
Against is all right to use in content for a technical audience in the sense of evaluating a value against an expression or running a query against a database.
Microsoft style
Show reference queries can be run against the Guide database.
If you want a program built on the newest version of DirectX to run on an older version, define DIRECTDRAW_VERSION to be the earliest version of DirectX that you want to run the program on.
Not Microsoft style
If you want a program built against the newest version of DirectX to run against an older version, define DIRECTDRAW_VERSION to be the earliest version of DirectX that you want to run the program against.
Do not use as a general reference to a sound that is intended to get the user’s attention. Use beep or a more specific description of the sound instead.
It is all right to use alarm in a specific description, such as “the low-battery alarm.”
Refers to a collection of one or more related audio or music tracks issued together as a full-length recording. Use album even if the content was issued on a CD.
Use album cover when referring to the graphical representation of the album or CD.
Do not use as a reference to a system message. Use message instead. Error message is all right to use when it is necessary to differentiate types of messages.
Use alerts (lowercase, plural) to refer to alert messages from .NET or from Internet sites such as MSN or eBay. Capitalize alerts in proper names such as MSN Alerts and .NET Alerts, and construe these names as singular.
Do not use alert as a synonym for reminder.
Microsoft style
You can receive alerts by signing up for MSN Mobile services.
These alerts appear on your desktop or mobile device.
Microsoft .NET Alerts delivers the information that you care about to your desktop, mobile device, or email.
Use align instead of justify to refer to text that is aligned on only one margin. Right-aligned and left-aligned are correct usage, as are aligned on the right and aligned on the right margin.
Use justify only to refer to text that is aligned on both the left and right margins. If you are not sure that users will interpret justify correctly, define it in place or use another term.
You align text and graphics on a margin, but you align one object with another. It is all right to use a phrase such as aligned with each other.
Microsoft style
Align the paragraph on the left.
Left-align the paragraph.
The text is aligned on both the left and the right.
Justified text is aligned on both the left and the right.
Align the text with the headings.
Not Microsoft style
Left-justify the paragraph.
Use allow only to refer to features such as security that permit or deny some action.
In content for a general audience, use you can to refer to things that a program makes easy or possible for the user. In content for a technical audience, use the user can or enables the user when you have to refer to the end user in the third person. See also can vs. may, enable, enabled.
Microsoft style
Windows 7 allows a user without an account to log on as a guest.
With Microsoft Word 2010, you can save files in HTML format.
Not Microsoft style
Microsoft Word 2010 allows you to save files in HTML format.
Refers to the version of a software product that is ready for structured internal testing. Alpha versions are usually not released to external testers. See also beta.
Use to refer to character sets that include only letters and numerals or to individual characters that can be only letters or numerals.
Do not use alphanumerical.
The common term for the descriptive text that appears as an alternative to a graphic on a webpage. The text is indicated in the HTML file by the alt attribute. The code used for the graphic and the alt text looks as follows:
<img src=“image.gif” alt=“Add the description of the image here”>
If you are not sure that your users will understand what alt text means, define it on first mention, and if your content has a glossary, add alt text.
For details about writing alt text for a specific project, consult your project style sheet.
Accessibility considerations
Because screen readers for users who are sight-impaired cannot interpret graphics, they read the alt text instead. Therefore, always provide alt text whenever you use a graphic, and always make the alt text as descriptive as possible. Do not use a word such as graphic or image by itself in alt text.
Use among when referring to three or more persons or things or when the number is unspecified. Use between when referring to two persons or things or when referring to relationships between two items at a time, regardless of the total number of items.
Microsoft style
Move between the two programs at the top of the list.
Switch between Windows-based programs.
You can share folders and printers among members of your workgroup.
Do not use & in text or headings to mean and unless you are specifically referring to the symbol on the user interface.
It is all right to use and refer to the ampersand in appropriate contexts. For example, it is all right to tell the user that in HTML, the ampersand precedes the code name or number of a special character, and in C and other programming languages, the ampersand is an operator.
Microsoft style
To show less-than (<) and greater-than (>) signs on a webpage, use the following HTML code:
< >
or
< >
In C and other programming languages, the & is used as an operator.
Do not use and so on except in situations where screen space is limited or as noted later in this topic. This phrase gives no information about the class of items that it is meant to represent, and therefore can create ambiguity. See also etc.
Microsoft style
Body text is most readable in Times New Roman, Palatino, and other serif fonts.
Not Microsoft style
Body text is most readable in Times New Roman, Palatino, and so on.
Do not use and so on to end a phrase that begins with for example or such as. These opening phrases indicate that what follows is not an exhaustive list, so adding and so on is superfluous.
Microsoft style
Body text is most readable in serif fonts such as Times New Roman and Palatino.
Not Microsoft style
Body text is most readable in serif fonts such as Times New Roman, Palatino, and so on.
It is all right to use and so on to indicate a logical progression where at least two items have been named.
Microsoft style
…a, b, c, and so on.
All right to use, but only if you cannot use either and or or by itself, or if you cannot rewrite the sentence to avoid this construction.
Microsoft style
You can save the document under its current name or under a new name.
Will the new version contain information about how to write object-oriented code and/or use the class libraries?
Use as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not hyphenate. Refers to a general category of software designed to detect and respond to malicious software such as viruses, worms, and trojans. Some antimalware implementations may also detect and respond to potentially unwanted software such as spyware and adware. See also antispyware, antivirus, antispyware.
Microsoft style
antimalware program
Use as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not hyphenate. Refers to a computer program that is designed to detect spyware and sometimes remove it. See also antimalware, antivirus, security, spyware.
Microsoft style
antispyware tools
Use as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not hyphenate. Refers to a computer program that is designed to detect and respond to malware. Responses may include blocking user access to infected files, cleaning infected files or systems, or informing the user that an infected program was detected.
This term is often used interchangeably with antimalware to describe any program that removes malware. However, always use antivirus when you want to differentiate between antispyware and other antimalware programs. See also antimalware, antispyware, security.
Microsoft style
Microsoft Security Essentials has both antivirus and antispyware capabilities.
App is an abbreviation for application in some Microsoft products and services. For example, you may use app to refer to cloud applications or programs downloaded to phones. Consult your project style sheet for guidance on using this term in your content.
International considerations
Using the abbreviation app does not save space when content is localized. In many languages, the full term is translated because an abbreviation is not available. See also applet, application.
Displays requires a direct object; appears does not. If necessary in context, you can use the passive is displayed.
Microsoft style
If you try to exit the program without saving the file, a message appears.
Windows displays a message if you do not log on correctly.
A message is displayed if you do not log on correctly.
Not Microsoft style
If you try to exit the program without saving the file, a message displays.
For consistency in Microsoft documentation, use appendices as the plural form of appendix instead of appendixes.
In current usage, applet refers to an HTML-based program that a browser downloads temporarily to a user’s hard disk. Applet is most often associated with Java.
In general, when referring to a small program, use the name of the program or the most appropriate term, such as program, add-in, app, or applet.
Do not refer to the individual programs that make up Control Panel as applets. Refer to them by their names. If you must use a generic term, refer to these programs as items. See also accessory, add-in, add-on, app, Control Panel, tool, utility.
Microsoft style
Click Control Panel, click User Accounts, and then click Credential Manager.
For a general audience, use program instead of application. Application is all right to use in content for a technical audience, especially to refer to a grouping of software that includes both executable files and other components. See also app, applet, program vs. application.
Do not use application program.
Do not use if you can use software developer, web developer, developer, or programmer instead.
Do not use applications developer.
Do not use in content for a general audience. Use the specific name of the file if you can. Otherwise, use program file instead.
In general, do not use to refer to a program’s icon. Use the specific product name, such as “the Word icon” instead. If you must use a general term, use program icon.
Application icon is all right to use in content for software developers when discussing programming elements such as the ApplicationIcon property.
In general, do not use to refer to a specific product’s window. Use the specific product name, such as “the Word window,” instead.
Application window is all right to use in content for software developers when discussing programming elements such as the WindowSize event, which occurs when the application window is resized or moved.
An argument typically is a value or expression that contains data or code that is used with an operator or passed to a function. For example, in the following expression x and y are arguments:
x = y;
A parameter is a value given to a variable and treated as a constant until the operation is completed. Parameters are often used to customize a program for a particular purpose. For example, a date could be a parameter that is passed to a scheduling function.
However, these terms are often used interchangeably. In content for a technical audience, use the same term consistently to refer to the same kind of element.
In general, use argument in content for a general audience. The difference between an argument and a parameter is unimportant for such users because it appears so infrequently. Differentiate between the two only if necessary. See also Command syntax, Document conventions (Chapter 6).
In content for novice computer users, you may want to use arrow to identify the arrow next to a list box label. Do not use up arrow or down arrow, which refer to the arrow keys on the keyboard.
Microsoft style
Click the Font arrow to display the list.
The arrow keys are the keys that are labeled only with an arrow. If you need to make special mention of the similar keys on the numeric keypad, refer to the arrow keys on the numeric keypad.
Refer to a specific arrow key as the Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow key. It is all right to use arrow key as a general term for any single arrow key.
Do not use direction keys, directional keys, or movement keys.
Use specific names to refer to other navigational keys such as Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End. See also Key names, (Chapter 5).
Microsoft style
To move the cursor one character, press the appropriate arrow key.
Use article to refer to a topic in an encyclopedia or a similar reference program, and to the contents of magazines, journals, newspapers, and newscasts, whether online or in print. For example, you can refer to an opinion column on MSNBC or a product-related white paper as an article. You can, of course, use a more specific name for such articles.
Do not use article to refer to Help topics or sections or chapters of printed or online books.
Do not use as a synonym for because or while in subordinate clauses. Both uses are grammatically correct, but they make reading more difficult for the worldwide audience.
Microsoft style
You can use the Forms Designer as a complete development environment.
Use the active voice whenever possible, because it is easier to translate.
Fill out your registration card while you wait for Setup to finish.
Not Microsoft style
Use the active voice whenever possible, as it is easier to translate.
Fill out your registration card as you wait for Setup to finish.
Because as well as can be used both as a synonym for and and as a prepositional phrase, it can be difficult for the worldwide audience and ambiguous for machine translation. For example, does the sentence “She can play the piano as well as guitar” mean that she can play both the piano and the guitar? Or does it mean that she can play one as proficiently as she can play the other?
Microsoft style
With Word you can format whole documents, insert headers and footers, and develop an index, in addition to writing a simple letter.
With Word you can write a simple letter. In addition, you can format whole documents, insert headers and footers, and develop an index.
Not Microsoft style
With Word you can format whole documents, insert headers and footers, and develop an index, as well as write a simple letter.
Use instead of assembler or machine language. Assembly language is a low-level language that uses an assembler rather than a compiler to translate the source code into machine code.
Hyphenate assembly language as an adjective.
Use assistive to refer to devices and organizations that help people with disabilities. For example, use it to refer to hardware that enables a person with a disability to interact with a program. Eye trackers and motion sensors are examples of hardware that can be used for this purpose. However, refer to these and similar devices as assistive devices only in the context of addressing disabilities. See also Chapter 4.
Microsoft style
To calibrate your Kinect Sensor or other motion sensor, follow the instructions on the screen.
You can calibrate the Kinect Sensor or other assistive device for people with motion disabilities by using the Options command.
Not Microsoft style
To calibrate your Kinect Sensor or other assistive device, follow the instructions on the screen.
Use asterisk to refer to the * symbol. Do not use star, except when referring to the key on a telephone keypad. An asterisk indicates multiplication in programming languages, and it also serves as a wildcard character representing one or more characters.
In Internet email addresses, @ separates the user name from the domain name, as in [email protected]. In addresses, it is pronounced at.
Do not use as a synonym for property.
In the .NET Framework, an attribute is a descriptive declaration that annotates programming elements such as types, fields, methods, and properties.
In HTML and XML, an attribute is a named value within a tagged element that can change default characteristics of the tag. For example, in a table, the attributes width and height specify the size of a table or table cells. The code for an HTML attribute looks as follows:
<table width=50% height=50%>
Files can have attributes such as hidden and read-only. See also properties.
In general, do not use as a verb to mean write.
In content for a technical audience, it is all right to mention authoring tools or authoring environments and to use author to refer to authoring in language-specific or tool-specific contexts. For example, it is all right to say authoring in XML.
However, in content for a general audience, a phrase such as writing in XML or creating content in XML is more suitable.
In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with auto-, such as autoanswer, autodemo, and autodial, unless it is necessary to avoid confusion. When in doubt, check the American Heritage Dictionary, or consult your project style sheet.
International considerations
Do not coin words beginning with auto-. They may confuse the worldwide audience and may lead to mistranslation in machine-translated content.