Command Names and Keys

General Guidelines

The names of commands and options (subsets of commands) appear in the same font as the surrounding text, but with an initial capital letter. Do not use command or option names as verbs or possessives.

Do
  • If you’re looking at photos on the web, use the Zoom command to get a closer look. If you see your boss coming down the hall while you’re looking at the photos, use the Alt+F4 command to quickly close the window.

Responsive Web

It’s also important to take into account that the Web experience can be from a keyboard/mouse or touch device. It’s important to differentiate among choose, enter, select, specify, and type. Do not use pick or hit, and avoid using click.

Do
  • To see your messages, use the Inbox tab.
  • Select Print from the File menu.

Native Mobile

For mobile instructions, the following terms can be used: swipe, scroll, tap, double-tap, drag, pinch, zoom, and select.

Keys

Name keys by what’s marked on them. To indicate when the customer needs to press two or more keys at the same time, use plus signs and no extra spaces between the names:

Do
  • Press Ctrl+Alt+Del.
  • Key names include Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Enter (not Return), Tab, Backspace, Del, Esc, F1, Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Up Arrow, Down Arrow. Note that spacebar is not capitalized.

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