An old application that I am updating has several confirmation alerts  
for hazardous operations. The alert format violated Apple's interface  
guidelines, and it took me a surprisingly long time to fix.
Just in case it might be useful to someone else, here is the result.

'---------------
/*
  Return _zTrue if user clicks the left-hand (action) button, else  
_false
*/
local mode
local fn ConfirmDangerousAction( message as Str255, explanation as  
Str255, actionBtnTitle as Str255 )
'~'1
dim as AlertStdAlertParamRec  paramRec
dim as Str255     defaultBtnTitle
dim as OSErr      ignore
dim as SInt16   @ itemHit
dim as Boolean    confirmed

BlockZero( @paramRec, sizeof( paramRec ) )
defaultBtnTitle = "Cancel"
paramRec.defaultText = @defaultBtnTitle
paramRec.otherText   = @actionBtnTitle
paramRec.defaultButton = 1
ignore = fn StandardAlert( _kAlertCautionAlert, message, explanation,  
@paramRec, @itemHit )
confirmed = ( itemHit == _kAlertStdAlertOtherButton )

end fn = confirmed


dim as Boolean  goAhead
goAhead = fn ConfirmDangerousAction( "Are you sure you want to erase  
the disk?",¬
        "It could take a while", "Erase Disk" )
'---------------


Robert P.