1 [[!meta title="Documentation style guide"]]
5 Refer to this article from NN/g on [presenting bulleted
6 lists](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/presenting-bulleted-lists/).
8 Always add empty lines between list items to:
10 - Make them easier to read.
12 - Make them easier to translate. Each item from the list will be put
13 in a separate PO string in PO files by the PO plugin when building
16 - **Debian and Ubuntu versions**
18 Refer to Debian and Ubuntu versions primarily by their numbers, and additionally
23 - Tails 3.0 is based on Debian 9 (Stretch)
25 - *Tails Installer* is available on Ubuntu 15.10 (Wily Werewolf) or later.
27 <a id="digit_grouping"></a>
31 Use a non-breaking thin space (HTML entity: ` `) or a space to separate
32 groups of three digits.
38 See [[!wikipedia Decimal_separator#Digit_grouping]] and [[!wikipedia
41 <a id="gnome_application"></a>
43 - **GNOME applications: <i>Files</i>, <i>Disks</i>, etc.**
45 GNOME applications that have a common noun as their name (like
46 <span class="application">Files</span> or
47 <span class="application">Disks</span>) can be confusing when referred
48 to in the documentation.
50 Make sure to clarify that you are referring to an application (and
51 not, for example, a set of files or disks):
55 - In the title of sections
57 - When first referring to the application in a section
61 - The <span class="application">Files</span> browser
63 - The <span class="application">Disks</span> utility
65 Otherwise, use the short name of the application as it appears in the menus when giving
66 instructions to be executed inside Tails.
70 - Open */live/persistence/TailsData_unlocked/dotfiles* in *Files*.
72 Prepend "*GNOME*" when giving instructions to be executed outside of
77 - Install <span class="application">GNOME Disks</span> in Debian.
81 And not *graphics adapters*, *graphics*, *graphical hardware*, or
84 - **procedures** (a series of steps)
86 - Keep the number of steps low within a procedure (for example, below
87 10, ideally 7). For longer procedures, split them and give each
90 - Add a blank line between each step.
92 - Rely on the automatic numbered of Markdown and number all the steps
95 See also the *Microsoft Manual of Style: Procedures and technical
101 1. Make sure that you are connected to the Internet.
103 1. Start <span class="application">Software Sources</span>.
105 1. Click on the <span class="guilabel">PPAs</span> button and then choose to <span class="button">Add a new PPA…</span>.
108 - **network interface**, **Wi-Fi interface**
110 And not *card*, *device*, or *adapter*.
112 Still, **USB Wi-Fi adapters** are USB dongles that provide a Wi-Fi interface.
114 - **persistence feature**
116 To refer to the features available in the configuration of the
117 *persistent storage*.
121 - […] when the [[<span class="guilabel">Additional Software</span>
122 persistence feature|doc/first_steps/persistence/configure#additional_software]]
125 The word *persistence* can be omitted if it is redundant from the context
126 (for example on [[doc/first_steps/persistence/configure]]).
130 Capitalize as a brand or feature. Writing *secure boot* would make it
131 sound more like a magic security feature (which it is not).
135 Place a [[!wikipedia serial comma]] immediately before the
136 coordinating conjunction (usually *and* or *or*) in a series of three
139 - **startup options**
141 To refer to the kernel command line options that can be specified from
142 the *Boot Loader Menu*.
146 - Adding `radeon.dpm=0` to the [[startup
147 options|/doc/first_steps/startup_options#boot_menu]].
149 - **<span class="application">Tails Greeter</span>**
151 Without an article. Not *the Greeter*. Note the formatting as an application.
153 - **vulnerability** or **security vulnerability**
155 And not *hole* or *issue*.