: Section headings: "to check..." vs. "checking" I have a technical document which consists of the following sections: 1. Assignment statements 2. Concatenation 3. Data types 4. To check whether key

I have a technical document which consists of the following sections:

1. Assignment statements
2. Concatenation
3. Data types
4. To check whether key exists
5. To retrieve value
6. To check whether variable or function is True or False
7. Regular expressions
8. Guard statements

What is the best way to name the 4, 5, and 6 sections?

First version:

4. To check whether key exists
5. To retrieve value
6. To check whether variable or function is True or False

or maybe

4. Checking whether key exists
5. Retrieving value
6. Checking whether variable or function is True or False

or maybe

4. Check whether key exists
5. Retrieving value
6. Check whether variable or function is True or False

English is not my native language.

Load Full (2)

: Is it acceptable to have a subplot run out of sync with the main plot by a few days? Is it acceptable to have a subplot run out of sync in front of the main plot by a couple of days

@Shelley992

Load Full 1 Comments

: How to convey suddenness when a lot is going on? So, here's a scene idea from yours truly: The giant eagle brown falcon, Horus, is fighting against a necromancer that can stop time. So the

@Shelley992

Load Full 2 Comments

: Formal letter: capitalization after salutation? In many formal letters, the first word after the salutation (e.g. "Dear Sir or Madam,") is the pronoun I, which is always capitalized. However,

@Shelley992

Load Full 1 Comments

: Is There a Term or Description For When the Narrator Inserts their Own Personal Perspective Into a Third Person POV? Occasionally I have read stories where the third person Omniscient/Limited

@Shelley992

Load Full 1 Comments

Login to post a comment!

2 Comments

Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best

@Murphy332

The accepted answer is correct of course, but I want to add that you can also use the "How to" construction:
4. How to check whether a key exists
5. How to retrieve a value
6. How to check whether variable or function is True or False

This phrasing is also used in procedural topics, though less common.
Versions 1 and 3 are usually used in procedures themselves:
To check whether a key exists:
1. Open the registry editor.
2. ...

Load Full (0)

@Berumen699

Typically, the title of a procedural topic uses the gerund of the verb. For example, "Checking..." However, this can vary by organization and depends on the style guide or conventions your organization has established.

Load Full (0)

Feed

: Section headings: "to check..." vs. "checking" I have a technical document which consists of the following sections: 1. Assignment statements 2. Concatenation 3. Data types 4. To check whether key

More posts by @Shelley992

: Is it acceptable to have a subplot run out of sync with the main plot by a few days? Is it acceptable to have a subplot run out of sync in front of the main plot by a couple of days

: How to convey suddenness when a lot is going on? So, here's a scene idea from yours truly: The giant eagle brown falcon, Horus, is fighting against a necromancer that can stop time. So the

: Formal letter: capitalization after salutation? In many formal letters, the first word after the salutation (e.g. "Dear Sir or Madam,") is the pronoun I, which is always capitalized. However,

: Is There a Term or Description For When the Narrator Inserts their Own Personal Perspective Into a Third Person POV? Occasionally I have read stories where the third person Omniscient/Limited

Login to post a comment!

2 Comments

Back to top