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MICROSOFT MANUAL OF STYLE FOR TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
Microsoft Corporation. 1998. 2nd ed. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press. [ISBN 1-57231-890-2. 336 pages, including index and CD-ROM. $29.99 (softcover).]
The Microsoft manual of style for technical publications provides over 300 pages of advice on subjects ranging from grammar, punctuation, and abbreviations to writing for translation, referencing Windows interface elements, and creating indexes. Also included is a handy list of acronyms, an index, and-best of all-HTML and WinHelp versions of the book and an HTML version of the excellent Microsoft Press computer dictionary. Overall, it's an invaluable resource for anyone documenting Windows software.
To be honest, I was more interested in the online versions, so I explored them first. The WinHelp version is a pretty straightforward single-source migration from the print document. It can be run directly from the CD-ROM without installing anything on your PC. Once open, the WinHelp version uses the standard WinHelp 4.0 layout with Contents, Index, and Find tabs. Everything seems to work as expected. The main window is rather small, however, so you will probably want to maximize it. Conveniently, the "New topics and other changes" help topic links to the new information contained in the manual, and the topics listed in "See also" sections are linked in the help file. A print button for printing the revised topics would be useful, but otherwise the WinHelp version is an excellent resource.
As might be expected, the two HTML Help documents are a little more difficult to use. The setup programs for both the dictionary and the style guide will install Internet Explorer 4.01, which is required, and place a shortcut to each book on the desktop. Of course, using the shortcut requires you to have the CDROM in your computer, but it is a little more convenient than copying the files to your hard drive. Strangely, the style guide's shortcut reads "Running Microsoft Office 97, Update Edition." I assume that this title is a mistake. Once you get everything installed and working, the HTML Help style guide is nearly identical to the WinHelp version. The "New topics and other changes" help topic links to the new topics, and the topics listed in "See also" sections are again linked to corresponding Help topics.
The HTML...