Chimera Menu/Widget Text Guidelines

I. Goals

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:


UCSF Computer Graphics Laboratory / November 2004