This sounds like a good set of heuristics to me. :-) I think I give it thumbs up.
david On Wed, 2006-03-15 at 09:37, Calum Benson wrote: > Okay, trying to distil everyone's suggestions on this topic, how does > this sound for some menu item naming guidelines? > > 1. Sun applications are shown only by their brand name, e.g. > "NetBeans", "Java Web Start", > "StarOffice 8 Writer". > > 2. Core GNOME applications are shown by their functional name only > (e.g. "Calculator"), > unless either: > > - JDS includes another application with a similar function > that also appears on > the Launch menu, or > > - Sun offers an alternative application with a similar > function, whether or not it > is installed. > > In those cases, the name is "appname function"[1], e.g. > "Evolution Mail and Calendar" > (to distinguish from "Thunderbird Mail and News"), or "GAIM > Instant Messenger" (to > distinguish from "Sun Java Instant Messenger", even though we > don't currrently ship that > with JDS). > > 3. Other applications are shown by their brand name if the function > is reasonably apparent > from that, or is otherwise well known, e.g. "Adobe Reader", > "Real Player". Otherwise > they are shown as "appname function"[1] , e.g. "Firefox Web > Browser", "GIMP Image Editor". > > I /think/ point 3 ensures that both 'recognised brands' and 'stateful > apps' get the recognition they deserve, while interchangeable text > editors and calculators etc. go by their generic names by dint of > being core GNOME apps. But I'm open to alternative (preferably > concrete) suggestions... > > Cheeri, > Calum. > > [1] Precise format still TBD... personally, with these guidelines, I > think "appname function" does now make more sense than "function - > appname" or similar, but I'm still open to persuasion there too. > > -- > CALUM BENSON, Usability Engineer Sun Microsystems Ireland > mailto:calum.benson at sun.com Java Desktop System Team > http://blogs.sun.com/calum +353 1 819 9771 > > Any opinions are personal and not necessarily those of Sun Microsystems > _______________________________________________ > desktop-discuss mailing list > desktop-discuss at opensolaris.org
