@@ -37,6 +37,53 @@ There are 3 rules to describe classes:
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See the :ref: `content guidelines <doc_content_guidelines >` for information
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on the types of documentation you can write in the official documentation.
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+ English language qirks to be aware of
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+ -------------------------------------
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+
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+ English has a few qurks that even experienced users of English slip up on,
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+ so they are listed here to help avoiding these common mistakes.
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+
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+ The noun adjunct
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+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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+
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+ When you use a noun to modify another noun, as if it was an adjective, it is called
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+ a "noun adjunct". In most cases this first noun should be singular, so for example
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+ "a list of nodes" is also a "node list", not a "nodes list". This also applies even if
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+ the modified noun is plural, so "the lists of nodes" is also the "node lists",
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+ not the "nodes lists".
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+
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+ Deverbals
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+ ~~~~~~~~~
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+
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+ English has many words called deverbals, where two words in a phrase are combined into
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+ one noun. Examples of this are a "cleanup" from "to clean up", a "setup" from "to set up", etc.
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+ The combined word is not a replacement for the original phrase, so it's "Clean up the nodes",
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+ not "Cleanup the nodes", and "Performs a cleanup", not "Performs a clean up".
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+
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+ Initialisms and a/an
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+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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+
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+ Many words that are used in the documentation are initialisms, formed by taking the first letter of each word
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+ in a phrase like "Frames Per Second" becoming "FPS". In most cases these are pronounced by just saying each letter
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+ instead of blending the sounds together like a normal word. This, combined with how English letters are
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+ pronounced, means that many of these words should use "an" and not "a" like you might expect.
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+
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+ So it's "an RID", not "a RID", because "RID" is pronounced like "aR-I-Dee". The English letters that are
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+ pronounced with a vowel before the consonant, and should use "an" and not "a" are: `F `, `H `, `L `, `M `, `N `, `R `,
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+ `S `, and `X `.
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+
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+ There are some exceptions to this, like "MIDI", where the word comes from the letters of a phrase, but aren't pronounced this
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+ way. If you are unsure what to do, try saying the word out loud.
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+
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+ Before file extensions the general rule is to always use "a" and write the extension with a leading ``. ``, for example "a ``.obj `` file".
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+
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+ And/or with lists
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+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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+
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+ When listing things and add a noun at the end the noun should be plural if using "and" and singular if using "or", so it should be:
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+ "The Forward+ and Mobile renderers" or "The Forward+ or Mobile renderer". Also combine "either" with "or", not "and",
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+ and "both" with "and", not "or".
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+
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.. _doc_docs_writing_guidelines_clear_english_rules :
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7 rules for clear English
@@ -257,6 +304,15 @@ sentence, and keep it short:
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The **AtlasTexture's** used region.
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+ .. note ::
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+
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+ When adding the ``'s `` to plural nouns that end in an ``s `` it becomes just ``' ``, so you write "nodes'",
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+ not "nodes's". This applies even if the final ``s `` of the plural wasn't added to make it plural, so it's
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+ "axes'", not "axes's".
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+
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+ You *do * however still add the ``'s `` for plural nouns that do not end in an ``s ``, so it's "children's",
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+ not "children'". You can use either for singular nouns that end in an ``s ``, though ``'s `` is generally preferred.
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+
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Use the Oxford comma to enumerate anything
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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