“Must,” “can,” “may,” and “should”
Must (required)
- Describes actions that users/program are required to follow. Use “must” instead of “have to” or “it is necessary.”
- You must connect to the BART network to print.
Can (is able to)
- Describes actions that users/program is able to do
- You can use the /b option to force a black-and-white screen display.
May (optional)
- Expresses only the possibility or when the result of an action is unknown or variable
- If you use the /b option, your code may not be portable.
Should (recommended)*
- Describes valid reasons why user/program does an action
- You should use these four verbs when writing technical documentation.