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In article <k446553@pro-amber.cts.com> jeff@pro-amber.cts.com (Jeff Jungblut) writes:
>In <17136@mindlink.bc.ca>
>Linda_Richards@mindlink.bc.ca (Linda Richards) writes:
>
>>> Jeff Jungblut writes:
>>>
>>> Msg-ID: <k213168@pro-amber.cts.com>
>>> Posted: Mon, 2 Nov 92 03:14:39 P
>>>
>>> Org.  : ProLine [pro-amber] -- Spring Valley, Ca
>>>
>>> The Apple Publications Style Guide:
>>>
>>> on-line (adj.), on line (pred. adj., adv.)  Note hyphenation of adjective.
>>>
>>> ---
>>> In my own writing, I usually use on-line except when referring to online
>>> help, in which case I spell it as one word.
>>
>>
>>Yes, but what does it get edited to?
>
>Considering I'm also usually the editor, it stays as I wrote it.  (In the
>case of online vs on-line vs on line, at least.)

I'm not sure what you mean here. You say you usually use "on-line"
unless you are referring to "online help." Do you mean that you would
write "on-line information" and "on-line access" but would write "online
help"? As all of these strings have essentially the same grammatical
structure, I'm not sure how you would justify the inconsistent 
usage. Using "on-line" after the modified word in the sentence would
also fly in the face of convention--most sources would recommend "on
line." You would hyphenate the compound modifier if the reader is likely to
momentarily read the first part of the compound, "on," as an adjective,
which I don't think is true in this particular case. A sample sentence
would be, "The help screens are on line."

Just curious. Conventions are conventions, and not altars to worship at
(at which to worship? :-)), but they should probably be logical and
internally consistent. This is especially true in technical
documentation.


-- 
Brent Jones, Lead Technical Editor, U S WEST Information Technologies
U S WEST sez "Nuh uh, his opinion, not ours." bjones@denitqm.uswest.com
"In the Kingdom of Boredom, I wear the Royal Sweatpants." --M. Leyner