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T2 SYSTEMS HOUSE

STYLE GUIDE

A GUIDE TO PROCEDURES, EDITORIAL APPLICATIONS,

TECHNICAL TERMS, GRAMMAR, AND STYLES

T2 Systems House Style Guide

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Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1

File Naming Convention .................................................................................................................... 1

Field Descriptions ........................................................................................................................ 1

EDITORIAL APPLICATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 2

The Mechanics of Writing, Editing, Formatting, and Proofreading .............................................. 2

Writing ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Formatting and Copyediting........................................................................................................ 2 Substantive/Structural/Stylistic Editing ..................................................................................... 2

Securing PDF Files ............................................................................................................................ 2

T2 HOUSE OF STYLE .................................................................................................................................. 4

Abbreviations/Acronyms .................................................................................................................. 4

Bolding ................................................................................................................................................ 4

Capitalization ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Conjunctions ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Headings ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Images ................................................................................................................................................. 6

Italics ................................................................................................................................................... 6

Key Names and Combinations ......................................................................................................... 6

Lists ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Money .................................................................................................................................................. 7

Numbers .............................................................................................................................................. 7

Placeholders ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Possessives ........................................................................................................................................ 7

Pronouns ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Punctuation ........................................................................................................................................ 8

Comma........................................................................................................................................... 8 Formatting Punctuation ............................................................................................................... 8 Periods........................................................................................................................................... 8

Time of Day ......................................................................................................................................... 8

Trademarks ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Voice .................................................................................................................................................... 9

PREFERRED SPELLINGS AND USAGES ............................................................................................... 10

FORMATTING RULES FOR MICROSOFT WORD ................................................................................... 20

Working with Styles ......................................................................................................................... 20

Creating a Table of Contents (TOC) ............................................................................................... 20

Section Breaks ................................................................................................................................. 20


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Headers and Footers ....................................................................................................................... 21

Quick Keys ........................................................................................................................................ 21


1

INTRODUCTION

The T2 Systems® (T2) House Style Guide should be your first reference point to look up a commonly used T2 word to write it correctly in communications and to follow the rules that govern the mechanics of grammar, punctuation, and style. The purpose of this Guide is to provide a unified voice so there is consistency in language across all communications. Besides outlining best practices, the Guide also spells out recommended file naming conventions for consistency in use and quick document identification and recommends best practice in trademark use.

The House Style Guide applies the rules of The Chicago Manual of Style for style and punctuation guidelines, available at http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html. For technical documentation not otherwise covered in The Chicago Manual of Style, this style guide applies the rules of The Microsoft Manual of Style, available in print or as an eBook, with exceptions and areas of particular emphasis noted below. Both The Chicago Manual of Style and The Microsoft Manual of Style are particularly useful for quick reference to a myriad questions and answers if you can’t find direction in the T2 House Style Guide.

Unless producing documents for Canadian clients, American spelling applies. T2 consults The American Heritage Dictionary for spelling and some grammar.

File Naming Convention

File naming convention is important for documents passed between departments to ensure correct identification. The convention is defined below with named fields, which are then explained in detail.

▪ versionrelease_documentname_documenttype

Field Descriptions

▪ versionrelease — numeric

□ This field identifies the version release of the product documented and increments upon subsequent product release.

▪ documentname — name of product documented

□ This field is the document name:

▪ Luke

▪ BOSS

▪ Release Bulletin/Release Notes

Note: Digital Iris documentation is embedded within the SaaS application as online Help and doesn’t follow the prescribed field naming convention.

▪ documenttype — description of document type

□ This field is the document type:

▪ User_Installation_Maintenance_Guide (Luke/BOSS)

▪ Release_Bulletin/Release_Notes

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html


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EDITORIAL APPLICATIONS

The Mechanics of Writing, Editing, Formatting, and Proofreading

The following definitions describe various writing and editing functionalities, and are intended to help you produce professional-looking, well-written, and clean documents. Use these definitions as guidelines to determine the scope of work required.

Writing

Creating and writing a T2 technical document involves:

1. Soliciting information relevant to the topic from subject matter experts.

2. Documenting instructions in logical order, using photos and/or diagrams where applicable to illustrate the steps.

3. Sharing the document for peer review, then editing and implementing the review changes.

4. Soliciting final review, if major edits are required, and implementing changes.

5. Finalizing the document and posting it to SharePoint.

When writing:

▪ Use concise, simple, easy–to-understand sentences.

▪ Use strong subject-verb constructions. Avoid weak constructions such as “There are.”

▪ Use present tense and, where appropriate, the imperative mood (“Do this”).

▪ Use “you” instead of “the user.”

Formatting and Copyediting

A full-scale format and copyedit involves:

1. Applying template correctly and formatting document accordingly.

2. Correcting inconsistencies in formatting, styles, spacing, fonts, placement of screen shots.

3. Editing for grammar, spelling (English U.S. spelling is used for all documentation, unless writing for Canadian audience), punctuation, and other mechanics of style.

4. Ensuring accuracy and consistency in headers, footers, headings, sub-headings.

5. Identifying widows and orphans where feasible and correcting accordingly.

Substantive/Structural/Stylistic Editing

▪ Clarify and/or reorganize a document for content and structure.

▪ Clarify meaning, eliminate jargon, smooth language, and perform other non-mechanical line-by-line editing.

Securing PDF Files

All completed documents released to clients must be distributed in a secure PDF format. Securely lock PDF files in Adobe Acrobat by activating Security Setting as follows:

1. Click File from the toolbar and select Properties.

2. Click the Security tab.


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3. Click the Security Method drop-down arrow and select Password Security.

4. In the pop-up Password Security – Settings, check the box Restrict editing and printing of the document. A password will be required in order to change these permission settings.

5. In the Printing Allowed field, click the drop-down arrow and select High Resolution.

6. Leave the Changes Allowed field to None.

7. In the Change Permissions Password field, enter a well-formed password that you can share with internal team members in the event you are unavailable to unlock the file if required.

8. Click OK to exit the PDF document.

Adobe Acrobat will save the document with the security settings enabled.


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T2 HOUSE OF STYLE

Abbreviations/Acronyms

▪ Unless the abbreviation/acronym is commonly known, spell out the complete term the first time it appears in the text, then show the abbreviation or acronym within parenthesis, for example, BackOffice Support System (BOSS). Thereafter, use the abbreviated term throughout the document.

▪ Etc.: Avoid using. If you must use it, use etc. within parentheses, in lists, tables, and on PowerPoint slides. Use and so on, and so forth or a different phrase within sentences.

▪ E.g. vs. i.e. Use periods in e.g. and i.e. and do not follow with a comma or a colon. Do not capitalize the word that follows unless it is the beginning of a sentence. Place e.g. and i.e. phrases in parentheses if they fall in the middle of a sentence. Use a capital “E” or capital “I” if they start the sentence.

▪ Periods: Do not use periods in acronyms (e.g. BOSS, LPR, AC, LAN).

▪ Plural: To form the plural of an acronym, use a lowercase “s” without an apostrophe (e.g. LAN, several LANs).

Bolding

▪ The following elements should always be bolded in user guides. Wherever possible, use paragraph styles for formatting:

□ Names of dialog boxes, message boxes or windows, tabs, images, screens or menus.

□ The words “Note” or “Tip” when they introduce a note or a tip.

▪ Bolded words do not need quotation marks, unless they are required as part of the technical code.

Capitalization

▪ All caps: Use all caps sparingly for emphasis, i.e. DO NOT use all caps often!

▪ Capitalize the first letters of each product names (e.g. Digital Luke, Digital Iris, Digital Patrol, Digital Collect, T2 Flex, PathFinder), cities, municipalities, and universities.

□ Title-style capitalization (aka headline style): Use this style (capitalize everything but prepositions and conjunctions) for headings, sub-headings, step headers, PowerPoint slide headings.

□ Sentence-style capitalization: Use this style (only the first word and proper names are capitalized) for figure titles.

▪ Job titles and offices: In formal contexts as opposed to running text, such a list of corporate officers in an annual report, titles are usually capitalized even when following a personal name.

Example: Mike Simmons, CEO, T2 Systems

Titles are usually lowercased when following a name or used in place of a name in formal prose. Once a title has been given, it doesn’t need to be repeated each time a person’s name is mentioned.

Example: Chris Chettle is T2’s executive vice president, product and manufacturing..


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▪ User interface (UI) items: Do NOT change capitalization of UI descriptors. They must appear in documentation exactly as they appear on screen. The only exception to this rule is if a UI descriptor is the first word in a sentence, in which case it should always be capitalized.

▪ Hyphenation (the traditional rule):

□ Always capitalize the first element.

□ Capitalize any subsequent elements unless they are articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor).

□ If the first element is merely a prefix or combining form that could not stand by itself as a word (anti, pre, etc.), do not capitalize the second element unless it is a proper noun or proper adjective.

□ Do not capitalize the second element in a hyphenated spelled-out number (twenty-one, etc.).

▪ Lists: Capitalize the first word of each list item.

Conjunctions

▪ Because, as, since, while: If you mean because, use because and not as, since, or while.

▪ And vs. ampersand: Use and rather than “&” unless you are specifically referencing the symbol, or unless the ampersand is officially part of a title.

Headings

▪ Headings should concisely convey as much information as possible about text that follows to help readers locate information quickly.

▪ Heading styles start with the general and move to the specific. Example – Chapter Title, Heading 1, Heading 2, then Heading 3.

▪ Use an imperative in titles of tasks, e.g. Install T2 Flex.

▪ Use a gerund, “-ing” style in titles of concepts or references, e.g. Writing Quality Documentation, but use imperative verb phrases in titles of tasks or procedures, e.g. Install the Oracle Database Software. Avoid vague gerund phrases such as “Using Task Scheduler” or “Working with Custom Fields.” Consider what the topic is really about, and rewrite the heading to describe either a task, concept, or reference.

▪ Each heading or sub-heading must have at least one other corresponding heading or subheading, otherwise the information shouldn’t need to be divided by headings. The same rule applies to bulleted and numbered lists. For example, if you insert one bulleted list item, it must be accompanied by at least one other bulleted list item.

□ Correct:

To remove the bill stacker, pull the handle to slide it out from the bill stacker bracket.

□ Incorrect:

To remove the bill stacker:

i. Pull the handle to slide the stacker out from the bill stacker bracket.

▪ Avoid beginning a heading with an article. Correct: Parameters Tab. Incorrect: The Parameters Tab.


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Images

▪ Images (screen shots and photographs) should have an outline border (black, ½ point).

Italics

▪ Use sparingly!

▪ Use italics to highlight titles of guides and other printed materials, such as cases studies, white papers, eBooks.

▪ Italics can be used to emphasize a word that is about to be defined, but in this case, should be used sparingly.

Key Names and Combinations

▪ Always use capitals for letter keys (e.g. Press F).

▪ Use “the” and “key” if necessary for clarity (e.g. Press the F key).

▪ For key combinations, use the plus sign between keys as follows:

□ Ctrl+Alt+Delete

□ Right Alt+Delete

Lists

▪ Colon: Use a colon to introduce a list whenever possible/appropriate.

▪ Periods: Periods at the end of list items are only required if the items consist of complete sentences, or if the items complete the introduction.

▪ Slides: In PowerPoint slides, do not use punctuation at the end of bullet points, except for the case when a bullet contains multiple sentences.

▪ Write lists with parallel grammatical structure, e.g. all elements are verb phrases or all are noun phrases.

Example:

□ Install the Oracle Database Software.

□ Create an Oracle Listener.

□ Create and Configure an Oracle Database.

▪ Use bulleted lists for parallel information.

▪ Use numbered lists for tasks. If a procedure branches, consider using a sub-list (level 2 numbered list, e.g. a., b., c.) rather than long paragraphs of alternate steps.

▪ For numbered lists describing tasks, place results statements on separate line or use the designated paragraph style (carriage return in Word is [Shift] + [Enter]).

Example:

1. Click Purchase Permit. The Introduction page displays with customizable instructions.


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Money

▪ If a number expressing an amount of money is spelled out, so are the words dollar(s) or cent(s); if numerals are used, they are accompanied by the $ symbol.

▪ Only where a distinction is needed, use USD for U.S. dollars; use Can for Canadian dollars.

Examples:

□ BOSS can be configured to accept denominations ranging from five cents to fifty dollars.

□ BOSS accepts the following denominations:

▪ $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50.

□ There is a $0.25 service fee applicable to an Extend-by-Phone rate transaction

Note: The zeros are included after the decimal point only when they appear in the same context with fractional amounts.)

Numbers

▪ Spell out the whole numbers zero through nine. Use digits to write fractions, (e.g. 11/32” socket wrench), metrics (e.g. 4” x 4”), decimals, and whole numbers 10 and over. Whole number metrics must be spelled out (e.g. six inches, eight meters). Numbers which refer to steps do not need to be spelled out (i.e. steps 2 to 5).

▪ Commas: Include commas in numbers containing four or more digits (e.g. 5,678).

Placeholders

When making generic references to file names, computer names, website addresses, or other client-specific identifiers, use xxx for version numbers and <> for alphanumeric references, e.g. xxx.msi, where xxx is the version number OR IUSR_<computername>, where <computername> is specific to the customer’s workstation.

Possessives

▪ Most nouns: The possessive of most singular nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s, and the possessive of plural nouns by adding an apostrophe only.

Examples:

□ The Luke pay station’s exterior design has a “retro-inspired, contemporary” look about it.

□ BOSS’s dependability relies on its ease-of-use functionality.

□ The puppies’ paws were an indication of the size of the species.

▪ Proper nouns, letters and numbers: The general rule covers most proper nouns, including names ending in s, x or z, in their singular and plural forms, as well as letters and numbers.

Examples:

□ Chris’s weekly meetings.

□ Digital Iris’s dependability as a data intelligence platform is unparalleled.

▪ The same rule applies when the name of a place or an organization is a plural form ending in s, such as the United States, even though the entity is singular, e.g. the United States’ top university has awarded the bid for 100 Luke pay stations to T2 Systems.


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Pronouns

▪ Avoid the generic masculine pronoun. Use the instead of his, or rewrite sentence in the second person (you) or in the plural. Use she/he infrequently and only if nothing else works.

▪ Do not use a plural pronoun such as they with a singular antecedent such as everyone.

Examples:

□ Correct:

▪ A user can change the default settings.

▪ You can change the default settings.

▪ T2 Systems can restrict network settings to its products through its software applications.

□ Incorrect:

▪ A user can change his default settings.

▪ Everyone can change their default settings.

▪ Each client can configure his pay station.

▪ T2 Systems can restrict network settings to their products through their software applications.

Punctuation

Comma

▪ Use serial commas. (e.g. The V3, V4, and V5 controllers.)

Formatting Punctuation

▪ After a command, option, code sample, user input, or any text that requires special formatting (i.e. Code style), format the following punctuation in the Normal style to ensure that it is not confused as being part of the code syntax.

▪ Format parenthesis, brackets, and quotation marks in the style of the surrounding text, not in the format of the enclosed material.

Periods

Use a single space after a period and between sentences, and after a colon. The two-space rule is a relic of the typewriter age.

Time of Day

▪ Numerals: Numerals are used (with zeros for even hours) when exact times are emphasized. The abbreviations a.m. and p.m. must be followed by periods.

Example:

□ Restricted parking begins at 6:55 a.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m.

▪ Spelled-out forms: Times of day in even, half, and quarter hours are usually spelled out in text. With o’clock, the number is always spelled out.

Example:


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□ Operators of legacy Luke and Shelby pay stations were required to remove the coin bag by turning the key clockwise to the three o’clock position.

▪ Noon and midnight: Except in the twenty-four-hour system, numerals should never be used to express noon or midnight. Also, do not use the redundant “12:00 noon” or “twelve noon.”

Example:

□ Early bird parking starts at 5:45 a.m. and ends at noon.

Trademarks

T2 generates a wealth of information to educate its clients about its products. In all communications published, the correct referencing of trademarks and their symbols should apply to distinguish the brands, protect them in the marketplace, and to put the competition on notice that the company’s product names are exclusive to it.

The following two symbols apply to individual T2 products: ® and ™, and must be used as follows:

▪ Symbols and marks must be added to logos.

▪ Symbols and marks must be applied to the first instance in titles or headlines.

▪ Symbols and marks must be added to the first instance in the body copy of a document. The trademark must be set off with bold in the first instance only.

▪ Best effort must be made to introduce the trademark (first instance in the body copy of the document) as an adjective.

Voice

Avoid passive voice whenever possible. (ACTIVE: Remove the coin acceptor cable from the right of the coin acceptor, then remove the coin acceptor. PASSIVE: The coin acceptor cable can be removed from the right of the coin acceptor before attempting to remove the coin acceptor.)


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PREFERRED SPELLINGS AND USAGES

T2 uses U.S. spellings for all communications, unless otherwise specified. Please ensure you have the U.S. version of your spelling checker turned on prior to checking your documents.

Note: The list below is a quick reference for words that frequently crop up in T2 product documentation. It will always be a work in progress; if you come across a word not listed below and you’re required to look it up, please pass it along to the T2 technical writers for inclusion on the list.

a AC (alternating current; refers to power)

add-in (software), add-on (hardware) (nouns)

administrator

advice (noun)

advise (verb)

aesthetic (see esthetic)

affect (verb; means “to influence, have an effect on”)

afterward (no s)

alphanumeric

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Amex (American Express)

Amp (abbreviation of ampere, electrical currency)

antivirus

aperture

appendix, appendices

application service provider (ASP)

Atmel (POM-enabled smart card)

Automated Pay Station (abbreviate to APS after first full use; industry-preferred term is pay-on-foot station)

b backdoor (adj)

backend

back-office (noun)

BackOffice Support System (abbreviate to BOSS after first full use)

back up (verb); backup (noun, adj)

B.C. (with periods); British Columbia

barcode


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bill(s) (do not use note or notes)

bill acceptor (also known as bill validator; bill acceptor is the preferred terminology)

bill stacker

-bit (refers to color resolution, e.g. 16-bit color, or encryption, e.g. 128-bit SSL; preceded by hyphen)

bitmap (adj, noun)

Blackboard (campus card)

BOM (Bill of Materials)

BOSS (see BackOffice Support System)

BOSS Data Key (also referred to as USB key or mobile key; BOSS Data Key is the preferred terminology)

Bull Scot 5 (POM-enabled smart card)

c CAL (client access license)

campus card

canceled, canceling, cancellation

card reader

CASE Parking

catalog

CDMA (wireless communication based on cellular technology)

center

check box

check mark (two words)

choose (do not use for check boxes or selections; use click or tap)

citation (issued for a parking violation)

clear (in preference to deselect, e.g. clear all options)

click (do not follow with on; use tap for mobile applications)

client (organization to which the T2 brand of products is sold to, i.e. university, municipality, parking operator)

coin acceptor

coin escrow

coin slot bezel (refers to the coin aperture)

cold rolled steel (CRS)

color (U.S. spelling; colour – Canadian spelling)

comma separated value (CSV)

complementary (adj; “serving as a complement to something,” e.g. “The Luke retro-inspired, contemporary look complements the City’s urban surroundings.”)


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complimentary (adj; “pay a compliment” e.g. “The City of Houston is complimentary of the Digital products.”)

Complus Data Innovations (CDI)

controller

coordinate

cost-effective (adj)

coupons

credit card (do not abbreviate to CC)

credit card processor

Custom America (printer type)

d data

database

DC (direct current; refers to power)

decal (hard plastic graphic adhered to the pay station, e.g. payment decal)

decrement (verb; means to decrease by one)

default

deselect (do not use for check boxes or selections; use clear or cancel)

dialog box

Digital API

Digital Collect (do not abbreviate; do not use Collect for short)

Digital Iris (do not abbreviate; do not use Iris for short)

Digital Patrol (do not abbreviate; do not use Patrol for short)

Diners Club

double-click (do not follow with on)

dos (plural of do; do not add ‘s)

drag-and-drop (adj; do not use as verb or noun)

drilldown (noun); drill down (verb)

drop-down (adj)

Duncan Solutions

e eBook

ECO (see Engineering Change Order)

ecosystem

effect (noun; means “an outcome, result”)

e.g. (do not follow with a comma)

egress


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EMS (Enterprise Management System, legacy Web-based management portal)

email (noun); send (verb)

encrypt, encryption

end user (noun); end-user (adj)

endeavor

Endpoint token

Engineering Change Order (abbreviate to ECO upon first full use)

ensure (use insure only to refer to insurance)

enter (use for mobile applications and when there are multiple means of entering information, e.g. drop-down combo boxes; use type in all other applications)

Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM)

esthetic (variant of aesthetic; use aesthetic)

Ethernet

Extend-by-Phone

f fiber (fiber optics)

field (use instead of box, e.g. the File Name field)

file name (adj; noun – two words)

firewall

firmware

flathead screwdriver

flush-mount (adj)

front end (noun); front-end (adj)

FTP (file transfer protocol; acronym on first use is acceptable)

fulfill, fulfillment

FutureLogic (printer type)

g general availability (abbreviate to GA upon first full use)

Genetec

Gigabyte (abbreviated as GB)

graphical user interface (GUI)

gray (not grey)

GPRS (wireless communication based on cellular technology)

GSM (wireless communication based on cellular technology)

h handheld (one word; no hyphen)


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hard copy (noun; two words)

hard drive

hexadecimal (character string consisting of an alphanumeric combination of 0 to 9 and a to f)

highlight

high-speed

high-tech

hookup (noun)

home page (refers only to the main page of a website)

host name

i i.e.

Inbox

incremental

ingress

instruction panel

Intella-Pay (do not abbreviate to IP)

Internet

Internet Explorer

Internet Protocol (IP)

intranet (lowercase)

ISO

j Java

k KEP nut

keypad

keystroke

l label (soft plastic graphic adhered to the pay station, for example, the “P” label), labeled, labeling

LAN (local-area network)

launch (in reference to launch a Web page, not bring up a Web page)

lay out (verb); laid out (adj); layout (noun)

LCD (liquid crystal display)

Lexan panel

license/licence (U.S. spelling — license; Canadian spelling — licence)


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license/license plate-enabled parking (abbreviate to LEP upon first full use) (U.S. spelling — license; Canadian spelling — licence)

license/licence plate recognition (abbreviate to LPR upon first full use) (U.S. spelling — license; Canadian spelling — licence)

life-cycle

listserv

location (used in reference to a group of pay stations; previously region in EMS)

LocoMobi

log on/off, log on to/log off from (verb; do not use log onto, log off of, log in, sign on, sign in unless they appear in the user interface)

logon/off (noun; adj; do not use login unless it appears in the user interface)

look up (verb); lookup (adj)

LPR (see license/licence plate recognition)

Luke

m magnetic stripe (abbreviate to mag stripe upon first full use)

Marrette (trade name for wire nut)

MasterCard

matrix, matrices

megabyte (abbreviate as MB and not meg)

memory-resident (adj)

mobile phone

monochrome

multilingual (no hyphen)

multi-space

multi-tap

MySQL

n navigation panel

non- (do not hyphenate words beginning with non- unless necessary to avoid confusion or if followed by a proper noun)

NuVision (campus card)

o offline (one word, all instances)

off-site (adj, adverb)

off-street

ongoing


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online (one word, all instances)

on-screen (adj, adverb)

on-site (adj, adverb)

on-street

Outbox

p parker (a motorist purchasing parking)

parking space (use stall only when referring to the T2 Flex stall count feature)

ParkTrak

pass-back (noun)

passcard (collective name for value card, valet card, custom card, patroller card)

password

Pay-and-Display (abbreviate to PND upon first full use)

Pay-by-License/Licence Plate (abbreviate to PBL upon first full use); (U.S. spelling — license; Canadian spelling — licence)

Pay-by-Phone

PayByPhone (integration partner)

Pay-by-Space (abbreviate to PBS upon first full use) (referenced as Pay By Stall in the BOSS UI; Pay-by-Space is the preferred terminology)

pay station (do not use payment station or paystation)

Payment Application Data Security Standard (abbreviate to PA-DSS upon first full use)

Payment Card Industry (abbreviate to PCI upon first full use)

payment panel

PCI Data Security Standard (abbreviate to PCI DSS upon first full use)

PCI Security Standards Council (abbreviate to PCI SCC upon first full use)

percent, percentage (use % in PowerPoint slides to save space)

permit (can be used in preference to permission; issued for Pay-and-Display parking; perforated, detachable; top portion displayed on vehicle’s dashboard, bottom portion retained on person; hangtag; credential; decal)

plug in (verb); plug-in (adj)

pole-mount (adj)

POM (supplier of the Bull Scot 5 and Atmel smart cards)

pop-up (adj; do not use as a noun)

power down, off, on, up

practice (noun)

practice (verb)

preinstall

prerequisite


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press (use when referring to physical keys or buttons, e.g. Press [Enter])

Primary Account Number (PAN)

printout (noun)

PSApp (pay station application)

public key (an encryption string of characters)

pull-down (adj)

push button (noun); push-button (adj)

q qCoscom (T2 software used to update legacy lane controllers)

quality

r radio button (do not use; use select option or clear option instead)

radio frequency identification (RFID)

RADIUS (uppercase, all instances)

random access memory (ROM)

real-time (adj)

real time (noun phrase)

receipt (issued for Pay-by-Space parking)

receipt cup

Request for Information (RFI)

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Request for Quotation (RFQ)

return merchandise authorization (RMA)

right-click (verb)

run time (noun); run-time (adj)

s screen shot

scroll arrow, scroll bar, scroll box

secure sockets layer (SSL)

Selection Basket (in T2 Flex)

Service Menu

set up (verb); setup (adj, noun)

setting (a group of pay stations)

shut down (verb); shutdown (adj, noun); Shut Down (command)

sign in, sign off, sign on, sign out (verbs—hyphenate to create adjectives; use only if the term appears in the user interface; preferable to use log on and log off)


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single-head

single space (noun); single-space (adj)

smart card

smart phone

slimline solar panel, solar power

space number (do not use stall number unless used in context of T2 Flex product)

splash screen

stand-alone (adj; do not use as a noun)

start up (verb); startup (adj, noun)

sync, synchronize

System Administrator

t T2 Flex

T2 Systems Canada Inc. (Vancouver branch; abbreviate to T2 upon first full use of name)

T2 Systems, Inc. (Indianapolis head office; abbreviate to T2 upon first full use of name)

tab (noun, adj)

tap (use instead of click in mobile applications where stylus or finger performs action)

taskbar

telephone number format 604-688-1959; toll free: 888-687-6822

text box

third-party

ticket (use in context of T2 Flex product for encoded validations and value permits and ticket stock)

ticketwriter (do not use; use handheld instead)

time-out (adj, noun)

toolbar

TotalCard (campus card)

touch-up (adj, noun)

toward (no s)

Track Pattern

turnkey (one word)

type (use enter for mobile applications and when there are multiple means of entering information, e.g. drop-down combo boxes)

u U.S. (with periods); United States

USB (see BOSS Data Key)

usable


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user interface (UI)

user name (two words)

v vendor (a person or organization that sells a product, e.g. T2 is a vendor in the parking meter industry; do not use “supplier” in lieu of vendor)

versus (use in body text); vs. (use in headings and in PowerPoint slides to save space)

Visa

voltage

w watt (a unit of power, preceded by a hyphen when prefixed by a figure, e.g. 40-watt solar panel)

Web page (not home page unless specifically referring to the main page of a website)

webinar

website

white paper (two words)

Wi-Fi

wildcard character (a keyboard character that can be used to represent one or many characters, such as the *)

World Wide Web, WWW, the Web (use Internet instead; always capitalize Web when used alone; when in doubt, capitalize)

workstation

write-only (adj)

write-protect (verb); write-protected (adj)

z zip strap


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FORMATTING RULES FOR MICROSOFT WORD

Working with Styles

The key to successful document formatting is the use of styles. A style is a set of formatting commands that is assigned a name so it can easily and quickly be applied to any part of your document. Familiarize yourself with the way styles work and use these tools to save time when formatting and to ensure your document has a consistent look and feel.

The cleanest way to “snap” a document to template is to paste the original content as unformatted text into the template and then apply the appropriate style. To do so:

1. Click the Paste drop-down arrow on the Home toolbar and select Paste Special.

2. Click Unformatted Text, then click OK.

3. Click the Styles drop-down arrow on the Home toolbar to launch the Styles pane.

4. Now apply the correct styles to your document.

Tip

When pasting text, look for the paste option icon that appears next to the text you have just pasted. There is a drop-down menu here that allows you to select “Text only.” This brings over the text without any formatting or styles attached to it.

With respect to List Numbering, this style will continue throughout the document unless you reset it for each new numbered list. To reset numbering to 1, right-click on the number and select Restart at 1.

Creating a Table of Contents (TOC)

1. Click References, Table of Contents, Custom Table of Contents. The Table of Contents dialog box appears with the Table of Contents tab preselected.

2. Click Options to view the styles from which Microsoft Word will build the TOC. Word automatically has Headings 1, 2, and 3 and the levels they will appear when selected as default. Unless you wish to add more styles, click OK.

3. If you want a level of your TOC to have different formatting or be a different size, you can click Modify to change the TOC level style, make your changes, and click OK.

4. When you have finished modifying the TOC setup, click OK again to generate the Table of Contents.

5. Word will prompt you to replace the Table of Contents. Click Yes.

6. You can also update your TOC by using the quick key F9, or you can right-click on the TOC, click Update Field, select Update entire table, and then click OK.

Section Breaks

▪ Section breaks should be used only when you need to create a new section that has different headers or footers throughout.

▪ DO NOT add section breaks or page breaks in the middle of a table. This causes numerous problems with numbering, header rows not repeating, etc.

▪ Only use the Next Page section break. Odd and Even page breaks cause problems with extra blank pages.


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▪ Do not use Continuous Page breaks. These are for documents that have more than one column of text. Our current documentation template is not designed for columns.

Headers and Footers

When working with headers and footers, pay special attention to linking and unlinking between headers. If headers are linked, changes made in one section will be duplicated in other sections. Unless this is the desired effect, it is recommended that all headers are unlinked before making changes.

Quick Keys

▪ Shift+F3: Changes case of selected word or multiple words

▪ Shift+Y or F4: Repeats last action

▪ Ctrl+minus sign on numeric keypad: En dash

▪ Ctrl+Alt+minus sign on numeric keypad: Em dash

▪ Ctrl+Tab: Inserts a tabbed space inside a table

▪ Ctrl+Alt+period sign: Inserts ellipsis (…)

▪ Ctrl+Alt+R: Inserts ®

▪ Ctrl+Alt+T: Inserts ™

▪ F9: Refreshes fields such as TOC

t2 systems house style guide - s3.amazonaws.com · the words “note” or “tip” when they...

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