Options, Settings, Properties, Configuration, Preferences — when and why?

Question

There are several words with similar (in some sense) meaning:

Options, Settings, Properties, Configuration, Preferences

English is not my native language. Could you explain the difference in simple English please? I think the following template could be useful:

• Use XXX in your GUI in order to let people change behaviour of your application (maybe preferences or settings?)
• Use YYY in your GUI in order to let people change parts of an object (perhaps properties or options?)
• Use ZZZ in your code ...

What are best practices?

Answer 1

I believe it's largely a matter of personal preference.

However, I feel that I usually see properties as referencing one single part of an appliation, where as Options/Settings are usually a more global property.

In addition, Preferences are probably not things that have as large of an impact as something labeled options or settings. Things such as a minor change in the display or something similar.

The most important thing is to have consistency across the application.

And personally, I prefer the term 'options', as it sounds less intimidating that settings, properties, or configuration.

Answer 2

Tricky, this, as there's no one single consistent style followed by all applications. As you say they are (broadly) synonyms.

In truth it doesn't really matter so long as your expected audience understands what you mean.

The biggest difference is between Properties, which usually affect a component or object, and the others, which affect the whole application.

Following an approximate lead from Visual Studio and other Microsoft products:

• Properties represent the characteristics of a single component or object in the application.
• Options alter global ways that the application works. Microsoft products use this to customise the UI toolbar, for example. There's an implication here that you can disable UI elements altogether (e.g. a "Simple" user interface or an "Advanced" user interface).
• Settings and Preferences change qualities of how the application works. The implication here is to change, not disable: for example, "Metric measurements" or "British Imperial measurements".
• Configuration is often where an application is customised for each user or group.

But there's no single rule.

I'd suggest you use Properties for object characteristics and Settings for everything else that's application-wide.

Answer 3

Apart from Properties (which usually applies to a document or object inside a document, except when it doesn't), they're pretty much all the same. No-one agrees which terminology is best.

For example for program config, Apple style is ‘Preferences’ in the application menu, GNOME style is ‘Preferences’ on the ‘Edit’ menu. KDE style is a whole ‘Settings’ menu of its own. Windows style was ‘Options’ on the ‘Tools’ menu, though all bets are off now as more MS apps drop the menu bar and throw the old predictable controls all over the place with no consistent pettern.

RISC OS style was ‘Choices’ on the icon bar menu, just to add yet another pointless possibility.