Rough List of Terminology

This is a list of terms to look at for the revamped terminology recommendations. The list was obtained by looking through various software style guides, and by observing terms people use in documentation and on mailing lists and IRC. Not every term in this list will be recommended. Some of them may be explicitly recommended against. Some of them may not appear in the final recommendations at all.

If you feel there are terms or ideas that aren't being covered, please add them under User Suggestions.

Upcoming Terms

• radio button
  • Apple just says button, radio button only in developer docs
  • MS says option or option button
  • select; not turn on or mark
• select
  • for check boxes and radio buttons
  • for items in a list box
  • for text, not highlight
  • also add term highlight as neg
  • not for menus, buttuns; see choose or click
  • deselect? (I hate that word)
• selected, unselected
  • try to be specific: "selected text" or "selected files"
  • avoid generic "selection"
  • prefer "not selected" to "unselected" in predicate adjective
• choose
  • when chosen thing has immediate effect
  • usually for menu items
• list box
  • list box, not list view
  • use even for trees
  • for specific list, use "name list", not "list box"
  • things is a list are called rows or items?
  • but try to be more specific (files, bookmarks, etc)
• Repeat Keys, Slow Keys, Bounce Keys, Toggle Keys, Mouse Keys
  • accessibility features
  • capitalize

  • two words, not CamelCase

• toggle key
  • key that switches mode, like Caps Lock

Unsorted List

• 3D
• ASCII
• Alt
• Back Space
• CD/CD-ROM
• Caps Lock
• Ctrl
• Ctrl/Control
• DVD/DVD+-R...
• Desktop menu
• Enter
• Enter
• Esc
• Escape
• FTP site
• Free Software, open source, not freeware, etc.
• GConf
• GConf configuration source
• GConf path file
• GConf preference key
• GConf repository
• GConf schema
• GConf schema definition file
• GConf schema key
• GConf schema object
• GNOME
• GNOME Desktop
• GNOME Platform
• GNOME footprint
• GUI
• HTML
• Help
• MIME
• MIME information file
• MIME keys file
• MIME type
• MIME type
• MIME type registry
• Main Menu
• Main Menu button
• Menu Panel
• Meta
• Meta
• Normal Size button
• Print Screen
• RAM
• Remote Desktop
• Return
• Root menu
• SI prefixes
• Shift
• Super
• Tab
• Tab
• UNIX
• Window Menu
• World Wide Web
• X Window System
• XHTML
• XML
• Zoom In button
• Zoom Out button
• a.m./p.m.
• above/below
• accelerator key (s.a. mnemonic)
• access keys
• acronyms (spell out, with exceptions)
• activate
• active (current)
• add-on
• address
• antialias
• applet popup menu
• application
• application
• application
• application registry
• archive
• argument (command line)
• arrange
• arrow button
• ask
• auto-
• autocomplete
• autogravity
• autohide
• automount
• backtrace
• bar
• blank
• blind-copy
• border
• bounce keys
• brace {}
• bracket []
• buddy (instant messaging)
• burn (CD/DVD)
• caption
• character encoding (ephy: text encoding; gedit: character coding)
• click
• click and drag
• click and hold
• click on, click
• click-and-hold
• clipboard
• close
• code
• collapse
• color selector button
• color selector dialog
• color wheel
• column heading
• combo box
• command
• compose key
• compose keyboard
• compress
• computer
• configggure
• context menu
• control (i.e. widget)
• criterion
• current (active)
• current viewport/workspace
• customize
• daemon
• data
• database
• delete
• depressed
• desktop
• desktop background
• desktop entry file
• desktop environment
• desktop object
• developer
• dial-up / dial up
• dialog
• dialog box
• dialog element
• dialog pane
• directory (don't use, see folder)
• directory entry file
• disk/disc
• display
• double-click
• down arrow
• drag
• drag and drop
• drawer
• drop-down combination box
• drop-down list
• drop-down section
• duplicate
• emblem
• emoticon
• empty
• enter
• execute
• exit
• expand
• export
• extension (not suffix)
• field
• file content sniffer
• file name (filename)
• file system, filesystem
• filename
• flag
• flip
• focus
• folder (not directory)
• folderbar
• font selector button
• font selector dialog
• front end
• full screen, fullscreen
• grab
• graphic/picture/photo/image
• group box
• handle (noun)
• handle (verb)
• hard disk and hard drive
• hide button
• highlight (see select)
• home page
• hostname
• hot key
• hover
• hyperlink/link
• icon
• icon selector button
• icon selector dialog
• iconify
• image
• inode
• install (install onto, installed on)
• internet
• key
• key binding
• keyboard shortcut
• keymap
• keypress
• keystroke
• launcher
• layer
• left arrow
• left mouse button
• left side
• left-click
• link (symbolic)
• list box
• location bar
• look-and-feel
• lower (raise)
• man page (manual page)
• maximize/unmaximize
• memory
• menu item
• menu item popup menu
• menubar
• meta key
• metadata (not meta-data)
• middle mouse button
• middle-click
• minimize/restore
• mirror (screens, not clone)
• mnemonic
• modify
• mount
• mouse keys
• native viewport/workspace
• newline, new line
• offline
• online
• onscreen
• onscreen, on screen
• open
• operating system names (**)
• option
• package
• palette
• pane
• panel
• panel object
• panel object popup menu
• panel popup menu
• password
• pattern mask
• permission
• persistent window group
• plug in (verb for devices, connect?)
• plugin
• plugin (as in extension)
• point and click
• point to
• popup
• popup menu
• preference
• preference tool
• press
• press (type)
• press-and-hold
• pressed in
• privileges
• program
• program
• programming language
• prompt
• prompt
• property
• pull-down menu
• quit
• raise (lower)
• real-time, real time
• remote
• remove
• reorder
• repeat keys
• reply-to address
• right arrow
• right mouse button
• right side
• right-click
• root
• root directory
• root file system
• root folder
• root password
• root priveleges
• root user
• run
• runlevel
• runtime
• screen
• screen reader
• screensaver
• screensaver display
• scroll wheel
• scrollbar
• searchbar
• selected
• session
• setting
• set up, setup
• shade/unshade/roll-up-down
• shortcut
• shortcut (keyboard)
• shortcut command
• show
• shutdown, shut down
• side pane
• slider
• slow keys
• sort
• spacebar
• spam
• specify
• spell check
• spellchecker
• spin box
• spreadsheet
• stacking order
• staggered
• start
• statusbar
• stick
• sticky keys
• strikeout
• strikethrough
• stylesheet
• subdirectory
• submenu
• superuser
• symbolic link
• system administrator

• system beep (alert sound?, see https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=545219)

• tab
• tabbed pane
• tabbed section
• table
• terminal
• terminate (process)
• text box
• text field
• theme
• thread
• tile
• titlebar
• toggle key
• toolbar
• toolbar button
• tree
• triple-click
• type
• type (press)
• unavailable
• uniconify
• unmount
• up arrow
• username
• version numbers (major, minor, micro)
• vfolder
• view pane
• viewport
• virtual desktop
• virtual folder
• wallpaper
• web
• web page
• websafe color palette
• website
• widget
• window
• window frame
• window frame button
• window group
• window list
• window list button
• window list icon
• window name
• work around, workaround
• workspace
• workspace list

User Suggestions

• addressbook or address book?
• chat
• deploy
• device
• download
• driver
• drag and drop
• expander
• firewall
• install/uninstall
• operation
• monitor
• multihead
• partition
• port (tcp/udp)
• raster
• refresh vs. update
• resolution
• screen
• session

• smiley/emoticon (bug #496309)

• ssh/sftp
• suspend/resume/hibernate
• task
• terminal
• transaction
• vector graphics
• voip/sip
• volume (mount)
• volume (sound)
• widget
• wizard
• word processor

This word list was compiled from previous Documentation Style Guide and from Human Interface Guidelines: http://live.gnome.org/GnomeBR/Traducao/Glossario Maybe it can be useful?