Prepositions, verbs, and tags used with user interface elements

Updated on January 21, 2021

Use the prepositions, verbs, and tags defined for each interface element in the following table to keep your content consistent.

Remember that we cannot use tagged UI element names as verbs in a sentence. For example:

Incorrect: … and then Save and close the file.
Correct: Click Save, and then click Close.
Correct: After you save and close the file, ensure that you push it back up to the remote repository.

UI element	Preposition	Verb	Tag
Area	In	N/A	`wintitle`
Button	N/A	Click	`uicontrol`
Check box	In	Select, clear	`uicontrol`
Clipboard	To	N/A	N/A
Column	In	N/A	`uicontrol`
Combo box	In	Enter, select	`uicontrol`
Dashboard	On	Open	N/A
Dialog box	In	N/A	`wintitle`
Directory	In	N/A	`filepath`
Drop-down arrow	N/A	Click	`uicontrol`
Drop-down list	In	Select	`uicontrol`
Drop-down menu	In	Select	`uicontrol`
Explorer	In	N/A	N/A
Field	In	Enter	`uicontrol`
Folder	In	Click	`uicontrol` in procedures only
Form	On	N/A	N/A
Gadget	In	Click	N/A
Header	In	Click	N/A
Home page	On	N/A	N/A
Icon	N/A	Click	`uicontrol`
Landing page	On	N/A	N/A
List	In	Select	`uicontrol`
List box	In	Select	`uicontrol`
Menu	On	Click	`uicontrol`
Menu bar	On	N/A	N/A
Menu item	N/A	Click	`uicontrol`
Page	On	N/A	`wintitle`
Palette	In	N/A	`uicontrol`
Pane	In	Click	`wintitle`
Portal	In	N/A	N/A
Radio button	N/A	Click	`uicontrol`
Row	In	Click	N/A
Screen	On	N/A	N/A
Section	In	N/A	`wintitle`
Section (clickable)	N/A	Expand, collapse	`uicontrol`
Slider	N/A	Move	`uicontrol`
Switch	N/A	Turn on, turn off	`uicontrol`
Tab	On	Click	`uicontrol`
Table	In	N/A	`uicontrol`
Text box	In	N/A	`uicontrol`
Toolbar	On	N/A	`uicontrol`
User interface	On	N/A	N/A
View	In	Click	N/A
Widget	In/On	Click	`wintitle`
Window	In	Open	`wintitle`
Wizard	In	Click	`wintitle`
Workspace	In	N/A	`wintitle`

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