Do not use if you can correctly use a more specific term such as server, operating system, database, or network instead.
Two words as a verb, one word as an adjective or as a noun.
Microsoft style
Back up the files before you turn off the computer.
Save the backup copies on a disk.
Usually, a large, fast network that connects other networks.
Do not use in content for a general audience. You do not have to define backbone in content for a technical audience.
One word. Refers to the lighting that makes a flat panel display, such as that on a laptop computer, easier to read.
A star, medal, or other virtual recognition that indicates an achievement in a game or other program. Use title capitalization for a badge name. If it follows the name, use lowercase for the word badge. See also achievement.
Use baseline (one word) to refer to an established standard, as in “baseline data.” Use base line (two words) only to refer to the bottom alignment of uppercase letters in print (a typographic term).
Refers to the rate of signals transmitted per second. Because baud is a rate, the phrase baud rate is redundant.
Do not use bits per second or bps as a synonym for baud. Modems are conventionally designated by bits per second or kilobits per second, not baud. A 28.8 Kbps modem runs at a different baud, depending on how events are coded for transmission.
When designating baud, use commas when the number has five (not four) or more digits.
Do not use since to mean because. The use of since to mean because can be confusing to the worldwide audience, and the possible ambiguity may lead to mistranslation in machine-translated content. In general, use because to refer to a reason and since to refer to a passage of time. If it is possible to misinterpret the meaning of since as referring to a reason, rewrite the sentence. For example, you can rewrite the ambiguous sentence “Since I installed the fast modem, I can download messages very quickly” in one of the following ways:
Because I installed the fast modem, I can download messages quickly.
Ever since I installed the fast modem, I can download messages very quickly.
Since installing the fast modem, I can download messages very quickly.
Use instead of alarm or tone to refer specifically to a beeping sound.
Microsoft style
When you hear the beep, begin your recording.
Do not use to mean later in the content. Do not use as an adjective preceding a noun, as in “the below table,” or following a noun, as in “the code below.” Use a hyperlink instead. If you cannot use a hyperlink, use later or the following. See also above, cross-references, later.
Microsoft style
The following code sample can be used without modification.
The following code displays information about the database.
See the “Installation Instructions” section later in this topic.
Not Microsoft style
The below code sample can be used without modification.
The code below displays information about the database.
See the “Installation Instructions” section below.
A software product that is ready for unstructured testing by customers.
Do not refer to a beta release as a preview. Preview is often used to denote a version of a released product that will run only long enough for the user to make a purchasing decision. See also alpha.
In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with bi-, such as bidirectional, bimodal, and bimonthly, unless it is necessary to avoid confusion. When in doubt, check the American Heritage Dictionary, or consult your project style sheet.
All right to use in content for a technical audience. Big-endian refers to the method of physically storing numbers so that the most significant byte is placed first. Little-endian is the opposite.
Bio is all right to use as the abbreviation for biography in some Microsoft products and services, such as entertainment content.
International considerations
Using the abbreviation bio does not necessarily save space when content is localized. In many languages, the full term is translated because an abbreviation is not available.
One word. Refers to a specific file format for online art.
Do not use generically to refer to any graphic. Use illustration, figure, picture, or a similar term instead.
Spell out bits per second on first mention unless you are positive that your audience is familiar with the term. On subsequent mention, use the abbreviation bps.
Do not use as a synonym for baud. See also baud.
One word. Refers to a programming operation that determines the settings of individual bits in a variable. Use only in content for software developers.
Do not use. It’s jargon. A black box is a unit of hardware or software in which the internal structure is unknown, but its function is documented.
Do not use. It’s jargon. A black hole is a condition of an internetwork where packets are lost without an indication of the error.
Do not use. Try to write around by using wording such as in the “Microsoft style” examples.
Microsoft style
Blocked Senders list
Safe Recipients list
blocked or safe programs
Not Microsoft style
Senders Blacklist
Recipients Whitelist
Blacklisted or whitelisted programs
graylist
Blog is preferred, but weblog is all right to use. Use blog as a verb meaning “to publish or write entries for a blog,” and use blogger to refer to a person who publishes or writes entries for a blog.
Do not use blue screen or bluescreen, either as a noun or as a verb, to refer to an operating system that is not responding. As a verb, use stop instead. And as noun, use stop error.
It is all right to use blue screen (two words) to refer to the screen display itself, as in the following example:
The operating system stops unexpectedly and an error message appears on a blue screen.
Do not use board as a general term for hardware that provides a connection between a peripheral device and a computer. Use card instead. See also card.
Microsoft style
Video card
Motherboard
Not Microsoft style
Video board
System board
Use bold only as an adjective, not as a noun or as a verb. Do not use bolded, boldface, or boldfaced. See also Document conventions (Chapter 6), Fonts (Chapter 3).
Microsoft style
To apply bold formatting to the selected text, press Ctrl+B.
The newly added parameters are displayed in bold type.
The selected text is bold.
Not Microsoft style
To bold the selected characters, press Ctrl+B.
The newly added parameters are displayed in bold.
In general Internet usage, a saved reference in the form of a URL or link that helps users return to a particular location, page, or site. Use favorite to refer to a bookmark in Internet Explorer. See also favorite.
Do not use boot as a verb to mean start or restart a computer, and make clear that start in this context refers to the computer and not to a program. Use turn on to refer to turning on the power to a computer.
In content for a technical audience, it is all right to use boot as an adjective, as in boot sector and boot sequence. However, if you can correctly do so, use startup instead.
If the user interface or application programming interface uses boot in a label or element name, it is all right to reproduce the label or element name, but use start or startup to refer to the action or event described. See also turn on, turn off.
Microsoft style
The Boot.ini file is a text file that stores startup options.
Do not use. Use system disk or startup disk instead. It is all right to use boot disk in content for a technical audience.
Refers to a program that performs a repetitive task, such as posting messages to newsgroups and keeping Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels open.
This term often refers to a malicious program installed on a computer that is part of a bot network (botnet). Bots are generally backdoor trojans that allow unauthorized access and control of an affected computer.
Provide a definition if your audience might be unfamiliar with the term. For more information, see the Microsoft Malware Encyclopedia. See also security.
In general, do not use to mean lower left and lower right, which are hyphenated as adjectives. All right to use when you have no other choice, such as when discussing the BottomLeft and the BottomRight property.
For accessibility considerations, see left.
Technical term for the visible element, usually a dotted rectangle, that appears when a user selects a range of items.
Do not use marquee as a synonym for bounding outline. It is all right to use dotted rectangle or dotted box if necessary to describe the bounding outline, especially in content that is primarily for a general audience, but use the term only to describe, not to replace bounding outline.
In content about a dialog box, use box instead of field to refer to any box except a check box or a list box. For a check box, use the complete term, check box. For a dialog box element that displays a list, such as a drop-down list box, use list rather than box for clarity. See also entry field; field; Webpage controls, dialog boxes and property sheets (Chapter 5).
Microsoft style
the Read-Only box
the File Name box
the Hidden Text check box
the Wallpaper list
Not Microsoft style
the User Name field
Abbreviation for bits per second. Spell out bits per second on first mention unless you are positive that your audience is familiar with the term.
Do not use bps as a synonym for baud. See also baud, bits per second.
A Windows program for synchronizing different versions of files. Do not precede with the definite article the or with a possessive pronoun such as your.
Microsoft style
When you reconnect your portable computer to your main computer, Briefcase automatically replaces the files on your main computer with the modified versions.
Not Microsoft style
When you reconnect your portable computer to your main computer, the Briefcase automatically replaces the files on your main computer with the modified versions.
When you reconnect your portable computer to your main computer, your Briefcase automatically replaces the files on your main computer with the modified versions.
All right to use as an adjective, as a noun, or as a verb. The past tense of the verb broadcast is broadcast, not broadcasted.
To refer to a broadcast delivered on the web or over an intranet, use webcast.
Use to refer to scanning Internet sites or other files, whether in search of a particular item or only in search of something that might be interesting.
If your product refers to the ellipsis button as the Browse button, use browse to describe the user action associated with the button. Consult your project style sheet for details.
It is all right to use browse the Internet, but use browse through (not browse) a list, a database, a document, or a similar item.
Browsing is a manual activity. To describe using a product’s search feature or using an Internet search engine, use find or search. See also browse vs. find; ellipsis button; search, search and replace; surf.
Use browse to mean a user manually looking for something in a folder or tree structure, or on an Internet site.
Use find to mean a user instructing the computer to search for something, such as a specific file, object, computer, website, server, term, or phrase.
Use browser or web browser, not web viewer, to refer to a program that downloads and displays HTML pages.
Do not use. To describe the general category of fixes for an issue, use software update. To describe a specific fix, use one of the specific named software update types: critical update, definition update, feature pack, hotfix, security update, service pack, update, or update rollup. See also out-of-band release terminology (Chapter 6), critical update, definition update, feature pack, hotfix, security update, service pack, update, update rollup.
Do not use in content for a general audience to mean creating such things as documents, charts, and worksheets. Use create instead.
It is all right to use build as a verb in content for a technical audience to mean to compile and link code. It is also all right in such content to use build as a noun.
In most cases, use instead of bullet. However, bullet is correct when referring to the graphical symbol for a bullet (•) or to a single item, as in a bullet point.
Use as the shortened form of command button or option button. Do not use action button.
In general, refer to a button only by its label without using the word button. If you need to use the word button with the label for clarity, button is lowercase. For example, an unnamed button such as Maximize may be clearer if you describe it as the Maximize button. See also command button; option; option button; Webpage controls, dialog boxes and property sheets (Chapter 5).
Microsoft style
Select the file that you want to open, and then click OK.
To enlarge a window to fill the entire screen, click the Maximize button.