Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications

I'm not going to go to specify which entries Microsoft has updated for this edition...I'll simply say that I have yet to look for an entry that should be there that wasn't. It's exactly what you'd expect for a new edition...it seems to be thorough.

What I did like is the book's new organization. It's divided into two sections:
1. General Topics
2. Usage Dictionary

The Usage Dictionary is essentially just like the 2nd edition, with all the latest XP terms and stuff. It's what I expected to get when I purchased the book.

The General Topics section is this volume's great improvement. Whereas topics like procedure guidelines, screen terminology, and grammatical suggestions were scattered throughout the 2nd edition (i.e., listed alphabetically) the editors realized that the 3rd edition would serve readers well if these types of entries had their own section. Consequently, the first 182 pages of the book contain chapters titled
1. Documenting the User Interface (includes naming conventions for screen terminology, dialog boxes, menus, etc.)
2. Content Formatting and Layout
3. Global Content
4. Content for Software Developers
5. Web Content
6. Indexing and Attributing
7. Tone and Rhetoric
8. Accessible Content
9. Common Style Problems
10. Grammatical Elements
11. Punctuation
12. List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

This first section is so good, in fact, that it should be considered standard reading for anyone who's going to be writing technical documents. It's comprehensive yet easy-to-read.

The book also comes with a CD-ROM that contains electronic versions of the following:
1. Microsoft Manual of Style, 3rd Edition
2. Microsoft Computer Dictionary, 5th Edition
3. Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking, 2nd Edition

These e-books are not as convenient to use as the e-books that came with the 2nd edition (the new Style Manual e-book is just a big PDF), but they are nice resources to have...and I'll take what I can get. Certainly not a bad deal for the price.


Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications   July 16, 2006
 1 out of 15 found this review helpful

I was pleasantly surprised and pleased at how soon I received my book. I received it in 2 days from the time I placed my order. I have never received an item so fast from any other place that I have purchased anything from. Thank you so much for being so prompt as this is used in my place of business.


Promotes consistency with Microsoft manuals.   October 23, 1997
This text ensures writers that the documentation they provide the users follows similar standards as set by Microsoft. Users will feel comfortable with the similarities they see in the use of terminology and font style between their sets of documentation. The diskette that accompanies this text provides quick online access to the topics in the text.


The essential resource for Windows program documentation   December 17, 1996
People used to say you would never be fired for buying IBM. For the documentation author writing Windows program manuals or online help, you can't go wrong following Microsoft's standards. I recommend all my clients adopt this publication as part of their company style guide. It is a must have.


Good reference book   March 14, 2002
 0 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is a great desktop book. It isn't as comprehensive as I would like but it's definitely a good start.