Terminology and Word Choice
| Word or Phrase | Usage | Examples |
| -- (two dashes) | Use to represent "no data," for example, in a datagrid or portlet. | |
| abort | Do not use. Use "shut down," "cancel," or "stop." | |
| adapter | Not "adaptor." | |
| AM | Not "A.M." or "a.m." | Example: 2/15/13 7:34 AM |
| Are you sure... | Do not use. Use a direct question instead. | Original: Are you sure you want to disconnect the selected host? Rewrite: Disconnect the selected host? |
| assign | Avoid. Use "add" instead. | Original: Assign target device Rewrite: Add target device |
| attach | Avoid. Use "add" instead. | |
| automatically | Avoid. | Original: By default, daemons will start automatically when any of their ports open. Rewrite: By default daemons will start when any of their ports open. |
| available ports | Not "free ports" or "unused ports." | |
| bad | Avoid. Describe the problem instead. | |
| boot | Do not use. Use "start" or "run" instead. | |
| catastrophic | Do not use. Use "serious" instead. | |
| check, uncheck | Do not use. Use "select" and "deselect" for single check boxes and "clear" for deselecting several check boxes at the same time | Original: To provide access to a service or client, check the corresponding box. |
| check box | Not "checkbox." | |
| choose | Do not use with UI items. Use select. | Original: Choose the compatibility to upgrade the virtual machine. Rewrite: Select a compatibility level to upgrade the virtual machines. |
| clear | Use for deselecting several check boxes at the same time. Use "select" and "deselect" for single check boxes. | |
| click | Not "click on." Use "click" with arrows, buttons, files, links, icons, menus, menu items, progressive disclosure controls, and tabs. | Original: To create a scheduled task, click on the New Schedule button below. Rewrite: To create a scheduled task, click the New Schedule button. |
| clone | Use instead of "duplicate" or "burn." | Example: Clone a virtual machine to make an exact copy of the virtual machine. |
| compliant | "Noncompliant" is the correct opposite. | |
| copy | Use instead of "duplicate" or "burn." | Example: Copy all the files in the virtual machine's original directory. |
| could | Replace with "can" or "might" whenever possible. | Original: Could not connect to vSphere Web Client. Rewrite: Cannot connect to vSphere Web Client |
| datacenter | One word. | |
| datastore | One word, no hyphen. | |
| delete | Use instead of "destroy." | Example: Delete a datastore. |
| deselect | Use "deselect," not "uncheck," with a check box. Users can also deselect other GUI objects, such as list items. | |
| destroy | Do not use. Use "remove" or "delete" instead. | |
| done | Avoid. Use "complete" instead. | |
| Do you want to... | Do not use. Use a direct question instead. | Original: Do you want to disconnect the selected host? Rewrite: Disconnect the selected host? |
| edit | Not "change" or "modify." "Edit" is the better choice because of localization/globalization issues. | |
| eg | Do not use. Use "for example" instead | Original: Enter a comma-separated list of IP addresses. E.g.: 172.16.254.1, 172.20.161.0 Rewrite: Enter a comma-separated list of IP addresses, for example, 172.16.254.1, 172.20.161.0 |
| eligible | Do not use in place of "available." | Original: 1 of 3 eligible Rewrite: 1 of 3 available |
| enable | Use "enable" and "disable" for commands or program features. | Example: Enable 3D support |
| enter | Not "type," "insert," or "key in." | Example: Enter a filename. |
| error, unexpected error, failure | Avoid. Use "problem" instead. | |
| execute | Do not use. Use "run" or "start" instead. | |
| executed | Do not use. Use "completed" instead. | |
| fail to | Do not use. Use "unable to" or "cannot" instead. | |
| fatal | Do not use. Use "serious" instead. | |
| filename | One word. | Example: Enter a filename. |
| hang | Avoid. | |
| hide | Not "collapse." | |
| host name | Two words. | |
| illegal | Do not use. Use "invalid" instead. | |
| in order to | Avoid. In most cases, "to" is sufficient. | Original: In order to change the host configuration, you must edit the cluster setting. Rewrite: To change the host configuration, you must edit the cluster setting. |
| item | Not "entity." | |
| it is | You can often remove "it is" or rewrite by using a specific noun instead of "it." | Original: It is optional to enable Virtual Machine Communication Interface (VMCI) between VMs. Rewrite: Enabling Virtual Machine Communication Interface (VMCI) between VMs is optional. |
| kill | Do not use. Use "cancel" or stop" instead. | |
| launch | Avoid. Use "open" instead. | |
| log in (v.), login (n., adj.) | Use "Log In" for a button label. | |
| maintenance mode | Use "Enter Maintenance Mode" and "Exit Maintenance Mode" as menu items. | |
| may | Use "may" for permissibility. Use "can" for capability. Use "might" for possibility. | |
| migrate | Not "evacuate." | Example: Migrate all powered off and suspended virtual machines to other hosts. |
| modify | Do not use. Use "edit" instead. | |
| noncompliant | Not "not compliant" or "non-compliant." | |
| open | Not "launch." | Example: Open a wizard. |
| please | Do not use. | Original: Please cancel the wizard and re-select the jobs. |
| plug-in (n., adj.) plug in (v.) | Hyphenate plug-in no matter where it's used, and capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound (Plug-In). | Example: Install the Client Integration Plug-In to enable file transfers. |
| PM | Not "P.M." or "p.m." | |
| power on, power off (v) | OK for procedures like powering a virtual machine on or off, but use "turn on, turn off" if a button press is all that is required. | Example: Power off the virtual machine. Example: Turns on the locator LED of the selected devices. |
| quit | Do not use. Use "exit a program," "end a session," or "close a window." | |
| recommended | Do not use. If the recommendation is a best practice, just tell the user to do it. | Original: Reloading the client is recommended, so as to clear any problems left by this error. Rewrite: Reload the client to clear any problems left by this error. |
| remove | Not "destroy." | Example: Remove host from the inventory? |
| select | Use "select" and "deselect" for single check boxes and "clear" for deselecting several check boxes at the same time. | Original: To provide access to a service or client, check the corresponding box. Rewrite: To provide access to a service or client, select the corresponding box. |
| should | In most cases, replace with "must." | Original: Invalid value. Shares value should be between 0 and 1. Original: Choose which firmware should be used to boot the virtual machine. |
| shutdown (n. adj), shut down(v) | Original: You have chosen to shutdown host 10.112.165. Log a reason for this shutdown operation. Rewrite: You have chosen to shut down host 10.112.165. Log a reason for this shutdown operation. | |
| since | Restrict "since" to its time-related meaning. Use "because," not "since," to indicate causation. | Example: Rescan all known storage devices for new VMFS volumes that have been added since the last scan. Original: Unable to communicate with the remote host, since it is disconnected. |
| sorry | Do not use. | |
| terminate | Do not use. Use "shut down," "cancel," or "stop" instead. | |
| there are | Rewrite to eliminate | Original: There are configuration issues for the Fault Tolerance operation. Rewrite: Configuration issues exist for the Fault Tolerance operation. |
| trouble | Do not use. Rewrite to state the specific error or unexpected situation. | Original: Trouble connecting to vSphere Web Client. Rewrite: Cannot connect to vSphere Web Client. Contact your administrator to fix this issue. |
| unavailable, not available | They mean the same thing, but "unavailable" implies it is temporary or not permanent. "Not available" can mean that nothing is available and not going to be. When something is turned off or disconnected, it is unavailable. When something does not exist, say an option for a certain view, it is not available. | |
| unfortunately | Do not use. | |
| user name | Two words. | |
| VM | Use the abbreviation for "virtual machine" only when space is limited. | |
| wrong | Describe the problem instead. | |
| wish | Replace with "want." |