Writing & StyleStyle guide
Formatting File Attributes
Formatting File Attributes records the relevant Microsoft Style Guide convention while keeping it explicitly house-style scoped rather than presenting it as a universal grammar rule.
Write file attributes such as hidden, system, and read-only in lowercase in Microsoft-style technical content.
Key details
Core IssueMicrosoft’s common and developer formatting tables use lowercase for file attributes.
RegisterMicrosoft technical and professional documentation
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
This is a Microsoft house-style convention; preserve literal syntax when a command or API requires exact casing.
Further guidance
Content
Write file attributes such as hidden, system, and read-only in lowercase in Microsoft-style technical content.
Purpose
Microsoft’s common and developer formatting tables use lowercase for file attributes.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Formatting common text elements — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Microsoft technical-style conventions for error messages and common text elements
- Formatting developer text elements — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Microsoft Style Guide conventions for formatting programmatic and code-related elements in developer content.