RE: Virgin at Cross Referencing, have never "Xref'd"

[Shea Michael EXT <Michael -dot- Shea -dot- extern -at- icn -dot- siemens -dot- de>]

To follow up on this...

Others have spoken to how to cross reference. As far as what to cross reference...

Cross referencing illustrations and tables is a good idea. You can add the page number if you like. This is especially useful if your figures and tables are located far away from the reference.

Cross referencing prerequisites is a good idea too. If you need to do something else before you can perform a procedure, cross reference the prerequisite.

For example:
Before installing the software, check the system requirements, see System Requirements on page 8.

Especially cross reference something that will keep someone from harming themselves or equipment.

For example:
Before opening the circuit box, refer to the electrical safety instructions, see ....


I also like to cross reference procedures which would logically follow another. Cross references are also useful for decision tables:

Decide where you want to go in your car:

If you are hungry... ...go to the restaurant  see abc.
If you are tired... ...go home  see def.
If you want to collect $200... ...pass go  see xyz. (<= reference to the game Monopoly for those who don't know. Just a bit of cultural baggage.)

At the starts of chapters, I like to provide a chapter overview. I use xrefs to link all the heading1s in the chapter in a bulleted list. I sometime do this for long sections as well.

Chapter 3 Things not to do

This chapter includes the following topics:

* Running with scissors
* Taking wooden nickels
* Not paying your taxes
* Annoying heavily armed people who are easily annoyed and are somewhat psychotic and sadistic

The format you choose is also open to discussion. Some people make distincitons between see... and refer to... One is used for internal reference and the other external. Decide whether or not to include the page number or the paragraph text.

See 14.2 Cross referencing made easy on page 8.
See 14.2 Cross referencing made easy.
See 14.2.

There is some food for thought.

Michael Shea
XpressLink Documentation
c/o ICN AS BA ST2
+49 89 722-52589
michael -dot- shea -dot- extern -at- icn -dot- siemens -dot- de

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Michael Shea
ROSEMANN & LAURIDSEN GMBH
Am Schlossberg 14, D-82547 Eurasburg, Germany

Phone: +49 8179 9307-19, Fax: +49 8179 9307-12
E-Mail: shea -at- r-l -dot- de, Web: www.r-l.de
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> Overview:
> 300 page system manual with
> Basic TOC (simply chap. name & no.)
> Appendices
> Glossary
> Many figures and tables in each of 23 chapters with text references to
> figure or table 12-2 or 13-8 whatever.
> Change page at beginning delineating pages with changes since last
> printing.
> Nowhere does it say see such-and-such on page X, I only say "as fig. 14-9
> shows" or "see table 19-12" etc.
>
> Would one goal be, that if the figure numbers change (added or deleted
> figures) then the text reference automatically reflects this?
>



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