Writing Style Guide

LONGWARE, Inc.

Writing Style Guide

First Edition, April 2011

Table of Contents

Preface 3

Abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms 4

Apostrophes 4

Bold. 4

Book components 4

Byline 4

Capitalization 4

Courier 5

Edition notice 5

Figure titles 5

Headings 5

Highlighting 5

Hyphenation 6

Italics 6

Key sequences 6

Lists 6

Punctuation 6

Symbols 7

Terminology 7

Titles 8

Writing style 8

Preface

The "LONGWARE, Inc., Writing Style Guide"[how about italics instead?] was developed to provide guidelines for writing clear and consistent documents that have a common professional style. By having a set of writing standards implemented on all documents, we will have a consistent writing style that will aid in creating high quality products.

For general writing references, consult:

· The Chicago Manual of Style

· Merriam-Webster Dictionary, including Merriam-Webster Online http://www.merriam-webster.com/home.htm

· Dictionary of Modern American Usage, Brian Garner

To submit items to be considered for inclusion in the guide or to submit changes to this guide, contact Diane Willis at

[I can think of anything you missed!

Abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms

· CD

· CD-ROM

· Use MB for megabytes. Use a space between the numeral and abbreviation:

8 MB

Apostrophes. See Punctuation.

Bold. See Highlighting.

Book components

· Cover page

· Title page

· Edition notice, update year of copyright and documentation version

· Table of contents

· Preface

· State the purpose of style guide.

· List of general writing references, such as a dictionary, The Chicago Manual of Style.

· State the mechanism for submitting changes to the style guide.

· Body chapters

· Index

· Back cover

Byline

· Use The Text File Company

Capitalization

· Use LONGWARE in all capital letters.

· Use title case capitalization for headings.

· Use initial capital letter for keyboard key names when they are not part of an action:

The Print Screen key is located on the top row of the keyboard.

· Use all capital letters for keyboard key names when they are part of an action:

Press the CTRL key.

· Use an initial capital for a window type when it is mentioned, but not for an action. Do not bold the window name:

The Open window is displayed.

Courier. See Highlighting.

Edition notice

· Change the copyright date and the version notice.

Figure titles

· Capitalize according to the title case rule.

Headings

· Use gerund phrasing and task oriented phrasing, where applicable:

Getting Started

· Use title case capitalization:

Filepad Basics

Highlighting

· Use bold for on-screen selections and for items that are clicked or selected:

o Select OK and follow the on-screen instructions.

o Save As

o Start bar

o File name box

· Use bold for icon names and drive letters:[skip line]

o C drive

o Unstall icon

o My Computer icon[also]

· Menu names are bold when the menu names are referenced for an action. The commas separating a sequence of menu names are not bold:

File, Edit, Search, Option, and Help

· Menu names are not bold when the menu names are referenced, but an action is not be performed:

The program provides icons for functions such as accessing the Help menu.

· Punctuation adjoining highlighted items is not highlighted:

Select Run.

· Use Courier New for text user types in:

Type in a tab interval from 1 to 8.

Hyphenation

· double-click

· on-screen

· uninstall

· computer users

Italics. See Highlighting.

Key sequences. See Symbols.

Lists

· Use a numbered list when the list items are in a required order.

· Use a bulleted list when the list items do not have an order.

· Punctuate the lead-in to the list, usually with a colon.

· List items start with a capital letter.

· Punctuate lists if they contain an independent clause or an embedded dependent clause.

Punctuation

· No highlighting of punctuation surrounding highlighted text:

Select Run.

· Apostrophe

User’s Guide

· and in series. Use a comma before the and in a series of three or more:

The keyboard, mouse, and printer are needed.

Symbols

· Keyboard keys are all capitals when they are part of an action:

Press CTRL.

· The plus sign + should be used for keys that are a pressed at the same time for a key selection:

CTRL + TAB

Terminology

Words to use:

· bytes

· CD

· CD-ROM

· click

· computer users

· default tab interval

· desktop

· dialog box

· double-click

· Filepad

· folder, instead of directory

· hard disk

· hard disk space

· Internet

· keystroke

· lefthand

· MB

· Microsoft Word

· on-screen

· select

· Start bar

· tab interval setting

· text editor

· toolbar

· Unstall: feature and icon

· User’s Guide

· Windows

· Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional

Words not to use:

· Hitting a key. Use pressing a key.

· A dialog box appears. Use: A dialog box is displayed.

· directory, use folder.

Titles

· User’s Guide

· Capitalize figure titles according to title case rules.

Writing style

· Use active voice whenever practical.

· Use imperatives for directions to users.

· Use passive voice carefully.

· Avoid passive voice when directing users to do something; use imperatives or second-person ("you"). Use passive voice only when the actor is not the user and is obvious, unknown, or unimportant.