Chimera Menu/Widget Text Guidelines
I. Goals
- to promote consistent text usage in Chimera's user interfaces
- to provide guidelines for developers and programmers
- to promote awareness and discussion
II. Font
The default font type and size should be used.
III. Menus
IIIa. General Scheme
Primary (one word, noun or verb, capitalized)
Secondary (words capitalized as in a title)
tertiary or lower (numeral or lowercase,
except proper nouns)
Proper nouns include atom types, elements, and extension (tool) names.
Examples:
Select
Chemistry
element
other
Fe-Hg
Fe
(etc.)
Residue
amino acid category
aliphatic
(etc.)
Selection Mode (replace)
append
(etc.)
Actions
Atoms/Bonds
wire width
1
(etc.)
Ribbon
show
(etc.)
Tools
Utilities
Browser Configuration
(etc.)
IIIb. Usage of Ellipses
The ellipsis string "..." should indicate
a menu item that opens an additional interface which requires
user input to accomplish the function described by its name
(one-shot panels, as opposed to those intended
to be left up for a series of user interactions).
For now, Tools are exempted from this guideline.
We decided that "..." should not indicate
a menu item which simply opens an additional interface, since
practically all items would then require it.
There also needs to be consistency in whether "..." is preceded by a space;
we recommend no space.
Finally, should "..." appear on buttons as well as menu items? If so,
the same criteria should apply.
IV. Widgets (GUIs)
This is the broadest grouping, and thus less amenable to standardization.
It includes panels and dialog boxes generated by built-in functions
as well as extensions to Chimera. General recommendations:
- Title of Widget
- one or more words to appear on the top bar, capitalized as a title,
no colon or period at the end; should be the same text as the invoking
menu item or button (except sans any "...")
- Brief Header for a section
- capitalized as a title, optional colon at the end (but no colon
when sections are treated as "index cards")
- Longer description of a section
- first word capitalized, subsequent words not capitalized
unless proper nouns or acronyms; optional colon at the end, no period
- Instructive statement
- first word capitalized, subsequent words not capitalized
unless proper nouns or acronyms; no period
Example:
Ctrl-click on histogram to add or delete thresholds
in the Volume Viewer Display panel
- [box] Description next to a checkbox
- first word capitalized, subsequent words not capitalized
unless proper nouns or acronyms; no period or question mark
- exception: when the checkbox indicates a section
to be expanded/compacted, the text may be capitalized as a title
(instead of only the first word being capitalized).
- Item name: [blank, color well, slider, pulldown menu or
checkbox list]
or
(especially if there are many of these in the widget)
item name: [blank, color well, slider, pulldown menu or
checkbox list]
- first word of item name optionally capitalized,
subsequent words not capitalized unless proper nouns or acronyms;
colon separating the item name from the value(s);
options in a pulldown menu or checkbox list not capitalized unless
proper nouns or acronyms
- exception: when the item name and pulldown option together
describe a section, both should be capitalized and the colon is optional
Examples:
Inspect [Atom/etc.] in the Selection Inspector
Category: [New Molecules/etc.] in the Preferences Tool
- Phrase with [blank, color well, pulldown menu, or checkbox list]
embedded
- first word capitalized, no colon, period or question mark;
the blank (etc.) should not start the phrase
- Phrase with [button] embedded
- 1-2 words actually on the button, others trailing and/or preceding;
the first word should be capitalized whether or not on the button; no
colon, period or question mark; the button may start the phrase
- buttons marked OK, Apply, Cancel, Help
- common but optional
- widget-specific buttons
- 1-2 words, each capitalized if the button brings up another panel,
at least the first word capitalized otherwise; if another panel is evoked,
consider using "..."
UCSF Computer Graphics Laboratory / November 2004