Problem/Motivation

Coming from #1430452: Use Proper Name Case for core modules

On Comment #13 Michelle identified several bad and inconsistent capitalization examples in Drupal Core user interface and help text:

"Users with Use search permission can use the search block and Search page."
"Indexing behavior can be adjusted using the Search settings page. "
"The Search module includes a default Search form block, which can be enabled and configured on the Blocks administration page. The block is available to users with the Search content permission."

I'm sure there are more. We should make Core user interface text more consistent.

Proposed resolution

These three examples should probably be:

"Users with 'Use search' permission can use the search block and search page." (I think that 'Use search' is how the permission is displayed currently on the D7/8 Permissions page; if it's not that exactly, the text should be updated. For instance in d6 it should have been 'use search'.)

"Indexing behavior can be adjusted using the 'Search settings' page. " (And 'Search settings' should be a link to that page. Here I'm assuming that "Search settings" is the actual name of the page, which I haven't checked.)

"The Search module includes a default search form block, which can be enabled and configured on the Blocks administration page. The block is available to users with the 'Search content' permission."

Remaining tasks

Identify and fix other examples of bad capitalization in the Drupal Core user interface text.

User interface changes

Capitalization will be standardized:

When referring to a specific block, page, or permission, use the capitalization used on the blocks administration page, the page title, or the permission name shown on the Permissions page, respectively. Put the name used in quotes to set it off from the rest of the text. If this is in hook_help() text, make page titles into links to the page, and make permission names into links to the appropriate anchor/section on the Permissions page.

Alternatively, if you don't think it merits capitalization and quotes or a link, use all lower-case (e.g., you could refer to the "search page" or the "search block", without the quotes). Keep in mind that this is not as specific as referring to the exact item, so the first form is probably preferred in most cases, especially in help text where you can provide a link.

API changes

None.

Comments

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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Primary language English
CreditAttribution: jhodgdon commented
Issue tags: +Coding standards

Maybe we should discuss this as a standard before trying to fix it?

jcisio’s picture

jcisio CreditAttribution: jcisio commented

Posted by jcisio on February 10, 2012 at 9:15am

Take Search module as an example. I think we could write Seach module, but we write search page, search block... as they are features instead of proper name. BTW, we could also write "Search block" if we want to mean the search block provided by Search module.

So the rule is, I think, to consider only module name as proper name.

Posted by Michelle on February 10, 2012 at 3:08pm

re #15: Are you saying what you think it should be? Because it is currently the exact opposite of what you said. It's capitalizing it with page and not with block.

Michelle

jcisio’s picture

jcisio CreditAttribution: jcisio commented

Michelle, I don't care about what it is currently. I propose that in general:

We write search page, search block... as they are features instead of proper name.

But also:

We could also write "Search block" if we want to mean the search block provided by Search module. We could also write "Search page" if we want to mean the search page provided by Search module.

In italic is what I didn't write in the old issue. Because it made Michelle trouble, so I explicitely write it now.

Michelle’s picture

Michelle
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Location Wisconsin, USA
CreditAttribution: Michelle commented

@jcisio: My comment was only to clarify. The way you worded it, it sounded, to me, like you were referring to how things were now and I wanted to confirm that you actually meant this was how you felt it should be handled.

I'm not really sure where I stand on this issue, to be honest. I mean, it makes sense to me to capitalize when you essentially making a possessive. As in, "Activate the Search block" = "Activate Search's block" = "Activate the block provided by the Search Module". But it's such a grey area and I can see it being argued that "search block" is a generic thing and the module proper name is actually only implied. As in, "Activate the search block provided by the Search Module".

So put me down as leaning towards a +1 for capitals in these instances but not a total -1 against lowercase if more people prefer that since it's not a black and white issue.

Michelle

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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CreditAttribution: jhodgdon commented

I put a proposed standard in the User Interface Changes section of the issue summary above. Any comments on that?

This would be an addition to the capitalization standards on
http://drupal.org/node/604342
which by the way say to use "Sentence case" for page names (and presumably block names too).

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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CreditAttribution: jhodgdon commented

Just to be clear, this proposed standard and patch are probably only for user interface text. Not, for instance for documentation blocks (or at least not as urgently).

batigolix’s picture

batigolix
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Location Utrecht
CreditAttribution: batigolix commented
Status: Active » Needs work

The proposed standard looks good to me.

I added it to the UI text guidelines

Let's start the Hunt for the Improper Capitalized User Interface Strings!

greta_drupal’s picture

greta_drupal CreditAttribution: greta_drupal as a volunteer commented

There is great inconsistency of punctuation as well. Needs standardization of case (sentence, uppercase, or lowercase) and punctuation (incomplete sentences v. complete sentences). I also noticed a lack of parallel construction throughout. Some lists begin with a verb for some items, and noun or even article for others. E.g., Modules page

User text interface on the node form, options section, does not match those same options on the Content page filter dropdown.

E.g., "Promote to front page", "Publish", etc.

NOTE: Use present tense for all: promote, publish, pin {a/k/a 'make sticky'}...

jhodgdon’s picture

jhodgdon
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CreditAttribution: jhodgdon commented
Status: Needs work » Closed (duplicate)
Related issues: +#2499495: [meta] Review UI text for D8 core modules

So... This issue is very old, and was forgotten.

We've been working on improving the UI text and generally making it more consistent on
#2499495: [meta] Review UI text for D8 core modules
so marking this one as a duplicate.