Text Formatting in Windows & Dialogs

Created: July 18, 2000

Author: Jennifer Glick

Last Updated: December 12, 2000

In order to improve the usability and cohesiveness of the product, text formatting across the components  should be consistent.  The following is based on feedback and guideless from the Tech Pubs group.

Examples appear in purple italics.

 

Text in... Format
Dialog and Window Titles - Capitalize all words, except articles, conjunctions and prepositions. Articles, conjunctions and prepositions should be capitalized if they are at the beginning of a Dialog or Window Title. 

Examples: "a", "an", "the" and "and".

The following should be capitalized: "This" (pronoun), "As" (adverb). 

This is a Window Title
Proper Names
Always capitalize.

Netscape Mail
Button Labels
Text field labels First letter of first word of label should be capitalized. Colon at end of label.

Name of label:
Group Box Labels Capitalize all words, except articles, conjunctions and prepositions. Articles, conjunctions and prepositions should be capitalized if they are at the beginning of a Group Box Label. 

Examples: "a", "an", "the", "to" and "and".

The following should be capitalized: "This" (pronoun), "As" (adverb). 
Checkboxes and radio buttons with one sentence or phrase First letter of first word in sentence or phrase should be capitalized. No period at end of sentence or phrase.
Checkboxes and radio buttons with more than one sentence. First letter of first word in each sentence should be capitalized. Period at the end of each sentence.
Menu Items

    - Drop down Menus

     - Context Menus

 Capitalize all words, except articles, conjunctions and prepositions. Articles, conjunctions and prepositions should be capitalized if they are at the beginning of a Menu or Submenu or are used as in adjective in the phrase. 

Examples: "a", "an", "the" and "and".

The following should be capitalized: "This", "As".

Note: There are several items where the word "To" is capitalized. For example, "Send Mail To" and "Move To." In these cases it is appropriate to capitalize "To" because it appears at the end of the item, and the ending words are capitalized (no matter what part of speech they are). In the middle of a phrase, "to" should be lower case.

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