Just a note to thank everyone who contributed to the discussion on this topic. I was most interested to learn that 'display' can be intransitive (thanks, Petra!), though I still don't think 'a dialog box displays' looks right. There appear to be - no, I mean, there *seem* to be - a number of people who react strangely to 'a dialog box appears'. Perhaps it makes them think of Banquo's ghost appearing and disappearing. Personally I like anything that brings a bit of life to a page of instructions - well, within reason - but it's useful to know that you may also be calling up magical images when you use that phrase. Howard P.S. I just checked in Macbeth: in fact, in the scene with Banquo's ghost, there's actually no stage instruction 'Ghost appears'. It says 'Enter Ghost' each time, but this is followed the first time by 'Ghost disappears' and the second by 'Ghost vanishes'. Evidently Shakespeare wasn't taught the importance of consistency, let alone balancing beginnings and endings. (How does that make you feel, Terry?) Howard Silcock Technical Writer Electronic Systems ADI Limited PO Box 14, Deakin, ACT 2600, Australia Ph: +61 2 6234 6000 Fx: +61 2 6234 6011 Email: howard.silcock @adi-limited.com Web: www.adi-limited.com DISCLAIMER:--------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Email may contain confidential and/or privileged information and is intended solely for the addressee(s) named. If you have received this information in error, or are advised that you have been posted this Email by accident, please notify the sender by return Email, do not redistribute it, delete the Email and keep no copies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************************************************** To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject field. To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. To search the austechwriter archives, go to www.freelists.org/archives/austechwriter To contact the list administrator, send a message to austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx **************************************************