What is the best format to communicate an array of strings in one string to users who are not geeks?
I could do it like this:
Item1, Item2, Item3
But that becomes meaningless when the strings contain spaces and commas.
I could also do it this way:
"Item1", "Item2", "Item3"
However, I would like to avoid escaping the array elements because escaped characters can be confusing to the uninitiated.
Edit: I should have clarified that I need the formatted string to be one-line. Basically, I have a list of lists displayed in a .Net Winforms ListView (although this question is language-agnostic). I need to show the users a one-line "snapshot" of the list next to the list's name in the ListView, so they get a general idea of what the list contains.
Best Answer
In a GUI or color TUI, shade each element individually. In a monochrome TUI, add a couple of spaces and advance to the next tab position (\t) between each word.