Style Guide

About the Style Guide

This Guide describes the standards of ‘look and feel’ to which you should write a RISC OS application. The main aim of the Guide is to help all developers to give their applications a common and consistent look and feel so that users will be able to find their way around new programs easily and will be able to use applications together when appropriate. There is advice on how to implement this, and detailed descriptions of how to produce the icons you will need to use in your dialogue boxes and windows.

To date, there have been 3 issues:

1. Issue 1 for RISC OS 2, December 1990 (Acorn part number AKJ18).
2. Issue 2 for RISC OS 3, July 1993 (Acorn part number 0470,296).
3. Issue 3, February 2015 (ISBN 978-0993194801)

Where to get a copy

Paper copies of issue 3 can be purchased from the store from RISC OS Open Limited directly.

The Desktop Development Environment includes an electronic copy of the version that was current at time of its release. Owners of the DDE also qualify for discounted copies of the book.

Older editions are sometimes appear second hand, try checking CJE Micros or Amazon for stock.

Other related information

The following off site links provide extra background material:

• A summary of the rationale behind the Style Guide, its history and evolution is listed at riscos.info
• Revised guidance regarding application help systems is available on the Iyonix website, though this is now folded into the issue 3 guide
• Adam Richardson hosts his information on Programming Conventions at riscos.info.