Read Me First!: A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, Second Edition

Chapter 1. Mechanics of Writing

Error-free writing requires more than just using good grammar. You must also use correct mechanics of writing in your documents. The mechanics of writing specifies the established conventions for words that you use in your documentation. Grammar reflects the forms of words and their relationships within a sentence. For instance, if you put an apostrophe in a plural word (“Create two file’s”), you have made a mistake in the mechanics of writing, not grammar.

The mechanics of writing guidelines in this chapter work well for computer documentation, but other style guides might suggest different rules that are equally effective. In most cases, which rules you follow doesn’t matter as long as you are consistent within ...