Do not use as a verb. As a noun, use only to refer to tabs on a ribbon, a webpage, in a dialog box, and so on.
For other uses, clarify the meaning with a descriptor. For example, say “the Tab key,” “a tab stop,” or “a tab mark on the ruler.” See also Webpage controls, dialog boxes, and property sheets (Chapter 5).
Microsoft style
Use the Tab key to move through a dialog box.
Set a tab stop on the ruler.
Click the View tab.
Not Microsoft style
You can tab through a dialog box.
Set a tab on the ruler.
Do not use Table of Contents as the heading for the list of contents at the beginning of a document or file. Use just Contents instead. However, it is correct to refer generically to the table of contents.
Lowercase. In general, use the most generic term that describes a device. For example, use computer or PC unless you need to differentiate from other kinds of devices.
A tablet is a portable computer that has a screen with which someone can interact by using a tablet pen or contact gesture. A tablet may or may not have an integrated keyboard.
It is all right to use tablet PC when referring in general to tablets running Windows. Do not spell out as tablet portable computer.
If it aids comprehension, use convertible tablet to describe a portable computer that has an integrated keyboard and a display that can be positioned for use as a laptop or as a tablet. See also portable computer.
Refer to Taiwan only as Taiwan, never as Republic of China or ROC. If you must abbreviate Taiwan, the ISO abbreviation is TWN.
Use tap and double-tap instead of click and double-click when writing content specific to touching a screen or using a pen pointing device. Tap means to press the screen with a finger or pen tip and then to lift it, usually quickly.
Use tap and hold if required by the program to achieve a specific interaction. Do not use press and hold or touch and hold.
Microsoft style
Tap the Internet Explorer icon.
Tap Internet Explorer.
Tap and hold the album that you want to remove, and then tap Delete.
Do not use. These terms can be ambiguous and difficult to translate. If you must use the idea of “target,” use destination disk, destination drive, or destination file instead. But it is better is to be specific about the disk, drive, or file under discussion. See also destination disk, destination drive, destination file.
Use lowercase to refer to a client program that implements the Telnet terminal-emulation protocol.
It is all right to use telnet to refer to using the protocol. Use lowercase for this usage.
Capitalize Telnet to refer to the protocol itself. In UNIX usage, the protocol is usually all uppercase (TELNET).
One terabyte is equal to 1,099,511,627,776 bytes, or 1,024 gigabytes.
Abbreviate as TB, not T byte or Tbyte. On first mention, spell out and use the abbreviation in parentheses. Insert a space between the numeral and TB, or hyphenate if the measure is used as an adjective.
Microsoft style
36 terabytes (TB) of data
36-TB database
When used as a noun in measurements, add of to form a prepositional phrase.
Microsoft style
This database contains 36 TB of information.
Use terminal only in the context of terminal emulators. Do not use as a synonym for client, workstation, or computer.
Do not use as a synonym for close or exit. It is all right to use terminate in content for a technical audience in phrases such as “null-terminated string” or “terminate a process.” See also close, exit.
In general, refer to a box in which the user types text only by its label. If you must use a descriptor, use box. Do not use field or entry field, except in content about database programs.
In content for software developers, it is all right to use text box in content about designing and developing the user interface. See also Webpage controls, dialog boxes, and property sheets (Chapter 5).
That and which are often confused. Be sure to use the appropriate word.
That introduces a restrictive clause, which is a clause that is essential for the sentence to make sense. A restrictive clause often defines the noun or phrase preceding it and is not separated from it by a comma.
Microsoft style
You will need to supply information about applications that you want to run with Windows.
Not Microsoft style
You will need to supply information about applications which you want to run with Windows.
Which introduces a nonrestrictive clause, which is a clause that could be omitted without affecting the meaning of the sentence. It is preceded by a comma. Nonrestrictive clauses often contain auxiliary or parenthetical information.
Microsoft style
Your package contains the subsidiary information card, which you can use to obtain device drivers or local technical support.
International considerations
In general, do include the word that in restrictive clauses, even though the sentence may be clear without it. Including that prevents ambiguity and makes the sentence easier for non-native English speakers and machine translation to interpret.
Microsoft style
Open the document that you just created.
Not Microsoft style
Open the document you just created.
Do not use that or which to refer to a person. Use who instead. See who vs. that.
Then is not a coordinate conjunction. Therefore then cannot correctly join two independent clauses. Use and then or then with a semicolon to connect two independent clauses. You can also begin a new sentence with Then or, in a procedure, make the then clause a separate step without using then.
Microsoft style
On the File menu, click Save As, and then type the name of the file.
On the File menu, click Save As; then type the name of the file.
On the File menu, click Save As. Then type the name of the file in the Save as box.
Microsoft style
On the File menu, click Save As.
Type the name of the file in the Save As box.
Not Microsoft style
On the File menu, click Save As, then type the name of the file.
Avoid using then at the beginning of the clause that follows an if clause (an “if…then” construction).
Microsoft style
If you turn off the computer before shutting down all programs, you may lose data.
If you turn off the computer before shutting down all programs, then you may lose data.
All right to use to describe a series of articles or messages on the same topic in a newsgroup or email discussion. In content for a technical audience, thread is all right to use in the context of threaded programming models.
Spell out on first mention. On subsequent mention, three-dimensional is preferred, but 3-D is all right to use. Use 3-D when space is limited and to follow the user interface.
Hyphenate both the spelled out and abbreviated versions. Use 3D (no hyphen) only as specified by product names.
Use Tile to refer to the objects on the screen that the user can move around, such as the Phone Tile and the Calendar Tile on Windows Phone. Tiles are shortcuts to apps, Hubs, or other links. Always capitalize Tile.
Use Live Tile to refer to a Tile that updates automatically and shows content updates on Start.
Always hyphenate as an adjective or as a noun. Do not hyphenate as a verbal phrase.
Microsoft style
A time-out occurs if the connection can’t be made.
If the connection isn’t made, a time-out event occurs.
The connection timed out.
The horizontal bar at the top of a window that shows the name of the document or program. All right to use in content for all audiences.
For consistency, do not use entitled to mean the given title of something, such as a book. Instead, use entitled to mean “is owed.” For such things as a book, use titled.
Do not use the phrase “the book titled” or a similar phrase if the phrase is not necessary. If you do use titled, the word is not followed by a comma.
Microsoft style
Look in the book titled User’s Guide, which accompanies your software.
Look in the User’s Guide that accompanies your software.
Use as an adjective, as in toggle key. A toggle key turns a particular mode on or off.
Do not use as a verb. Use switch, click, or turn on and turn off to describe the action instead. For example, use the specific name of a toggle key or command to refer to what the user should do to switch between modes.
Microsoft style
Use the Caps Lock key to switch from typing in capital letters to typing in lowercase letters.
To turn the Ruler on or off, click Ruler on the Edit menu.
Not Microsoft style
Toggle the Caps Lock key on or off to switch from capital letters to lowercase letters.
To turn the Ruler on or off, toggle Ruler on the Edit menu.
Do not use tone to refer to a beeping sound. Use beep instead. All right to use in other contexts dealing with sound, such as a dial tone or a tone coming from a speaker.
Use tool instead of utility to describe a feature that aids in accomplishing a task or set of tasks.
Generically, a toolbox is a collection of drawing or interface tools such as paintbrushes, lines, circles, scissors, and spray cans. In programming applications such as Visual Basic, the toolbox also includes controls that users can add to programs, such as command buttons and option buttons. Tools in a toolbox differ from the commands on a toolbar in that the shapes or controls often can be dragged to a document and manipulated in some way.
Treat elements in a toolbox like any other options in dialog boxes. That is, use bold formatting for toolbox labels, and in procedures, tell users to click a particular option. Do not capitalize toolbox except to match the interface or if it’s a specifically named product feature. See also Webpage controls, dialog boxes, and property sheets (Chapter 5).
Microsoft style
Insert a Combo Box control in the dialog box.
Hyphenate as adjectives. Do not use to mean upper left and upper right.
For accessibility considerations, see left.
Use instead of following in such phrases as trailing periods, trailing slashes, trailing spaces and others that may occur at the end of strings, parameters, or other values. Trailing in this context is the opposite of leading.
Refers to a program that appears to be useful or harmless but that contains hidden code designed to exploit or damage the system on which it is run. Also called trojan code.
In content for a technical audience, the term can be shortened to trojan. See also hack, hacker; security.
Microsoft style
A trojan horse is a type of malicious software.
In general, use all uppercase to refer to a return value in content for software developers. If you are writing about a specific programming language, follow the capitalization used in that language.
Use to refer to the contact gesture or air gesture of rotating an object on the user interface with either the fingers or hand, as if turning a knob.
Microsoft style
Touch the Volume knob on the screen with your thumb and at least one finger, and then turn it clockwise or counterclockwise.
Hover over the knob, and then turn it clockwise or counterclockwise.
Use instead of power on, power off; start, stop; or switch on, switch off to mean turning the computer on and off.
Use instead of enable, disable to refer to commands or other program features.
Do not use to refer to selecting or clearing check boxes in procedures. Use select and clear or click to select and click to clear instead. It is all right to use turn on, turn off to refer to the status options on webpages, such as those for multimedia, as in, “You can turn off graphics.”
Spell out on first mention. On subsequent mention, two-dimensional is preferred, but 2-D is all right to use. Use 2-D when space is limited and to follow the user interface.
Hyphenate both the spelled out and abbreviated versions. Use 2D (no hyphen) only as specified by product names.
Use type instead of type in or enter for information that a user must type, such as a password. For information that a user can either type or select from a list, use either type or enter. You can also use a combination of words such as type or select. See also press.
Microsoft style
Type your password.
Enter the file name.
Type the path to the server or select it from the list.
Not Microsoft style
Type in your password.
Enter your password.