Document Conventions

A number of typographical conventions are maintained throughout Bentley documentation, which makes it easier to identify and understand the information presented.

Setting	Description
Notes, Hints, and Warnings	Items of special note are indicated as follows: Note: This is an item of general importance. Tip: This is optional time-saving information. CAUTION: This is information about actions that should not be performed under normal operating conditions.
File Path/File Name.extension	A fixed width typeface is used to indicate file names, file paths, and file extensions (e.g., C:/SProV8i/STAAD/Staadpro.exe)
Interface Control	A bold typeface is used to indicate user controls. Menu and sub-menu items are indicated with a series of > characters to distinguish menu levels. (e.g., File > Save As…).
User Input	A bold, fixed width typeface is used to indicate information which must be manually entered. (e.g., Type `DEAD LOAD` as the title for Load Case 1).
STAAD Page Controls	A " \| " character is used to represent the page control levels between pages and sub-pages. (e.g., Select the Design \| Steel page).

Terminology

Click - This refers to the action of pressing a mouse button. When not specified, click means to press the left mouse button.
Select - Synonymous with Click. Used when referring to an action in a menu, drop-down list, list box, or other control where multiple options are available to you.
pop-up menu - A pop-up menu is displayed typically with a right-click of the mouse on an item in the interface.
Window - Describes an on screen element which may be manipulated independently. Multiple windows may be open and interacted with simultaneously.
Dialog - This is an on screen element which (typically) must be interacted with before returning to the main window.

Mathematical Notation

Similar to spelling conventions, American mathematical notation is used throughout the documentation. A serif typeface is typically used to clarify numbers or letters which might otherwise appear similar.

Numbers greater than 999 are written using a comma (,) to separate every three digits. For example, the U.S. value of Young's Modulus is taken as 29,000,000 psi.

CAUTION: Do not use commas or spaces to separate digits within a number in a STAAD input file.
Numbers with decimal fractions are written with a period to separate whole and fraction parts. For example, a beam with a length of 21.75 feet.
Multiplication is represented with a raised, or middle, dot (·). For example, P = F·A.
Operation separators are used in the following order:
1. parenthesis ( )
2. square brackets [ ]
3. curly brackets (i.e., braces) { }
For example, F_a = [1 - (Kl/r)²/(2·C_c ²)]F_y / {5/3 + [3(Kl/r)/(8·C_c)] - [(Kl/r)³/(8·C_c ³)]}