renovate/docs/development/style-guide.md

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# Renovate style guide
This document describes the correct style for user-facing text in the:
- Documentation
- Error and debug messages
- Texts created by the bot in issues and pull requests
## Use American English
Set your spell checker to the correct language.
Guidelines:
- Use `ize` instead of `ise` in words like customize and analyze
- Drop the British `u` in words like behavior
## One sentence per line
In Markdown files, use one sentence per line.
Like this:
```markdown
First sentence on one line.
Second sentence on a new line.
And so on.
```
## Avoid contractions/possessives
Avoid:
```markdown
don't
won't
doesn't
shouldn't
wouldn't
manager's
file's
```
Do:
```markdown
do not
will not
does not
should not
would not
```
Avoid possessives like `manager's` or `file's`, if needed rewrite the sentence.
## Avoid manually ordering numbered lists
Avoid:
```markdown
1. First item
2. Second item
3. Third item
```
Do:
```markdown
1. First item
1. Second item
1. Third item
```
## Avoid punctuation at the end of list items
In Markdown files, avoid punctuation at the end of a list item.
Like this:
```markdown
- List item, no punctuation at the end
```
## Use plain language
Follow the [Plain language guidelines](https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/).
## Correct name for the GitHub app
Refer to the GitHub app version of Renovate as "the Mend Renovate app".