RE: Order of tasks in task-based documentation

["Steve Hudson" <steve -at- wright -dot- com -dot- au>]

A very formal breakdown sees minor (sub-topic) headings like these:

Scope
Considerations (whack config stuff in here)
Prerequisites (must do's pre steps below - skills/knowledge required etc)
Procedure (ye olde steps)
Troubleshooting
Definitions

I think I would tend towards separating the config instructions and the
usage instructions completely and cross-reference to each other - eg:

CONFIG
This sets the configuration to enable the functionality of SETUP.
Blah blah how to config


SETUP
This requires the configuration described in CONFIG.
Blah blah how to setup


Steve Hudson
Lead Technical Writer
Wright Technologies (Aus)
steve -at- www -dot- wright -dot- com -dot- au
(612) 9518-1822
The best way to predict the future... is to create it!



-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-62124 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-62124 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Bevan
Mccabe
Sent: Monday, 26 March 2001 21:10
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Order of tasks in task-based documentation


Hi,

just wondering what people's opinions are on ordering sections in a manual.
I'm writing task-based documentation, and there are a variety of tasks that
have to be done in order to use our software. Our software lets you build an
application. I think it is most likely that users will jump right in and
start drawing windows, placing controls on them, etc (call this step 5). But
actually there is some configuration information which I want the users to
set first (call this steps 1-4). This configuration stuff can be done later
- after step 5, but I think it is good practice to do it first, and I want
the documentation to be arranged so as to encourage people to do steps 1 to
4.
Also, for the people who look at the documentation before starting work,
they will be shown the correct way to do things.

So, in the contents, I could put the tasks in the order that people will
actually do them, or in the order that I want them to be done.
Every time I consider it I think it's "six of one and half a dozen of the
other", but I am tending towards the "best practice" model.


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