RE: Documenting wizards that have numbered "steps"

["Kathleen" <keamac -at- cox -dot- net>]

I'd use a similar approach, with two exceptions:

I'd break the overall procedures you've outlined into chunks--subsection
1 would be Steps 1-3, subsection 2 would be Step 4 (wizard), subsections
3-n would probably be steps after the end of the wizard and depend on
the number of other steps and their complexity.

When I introduced the instructions in subsection 2 ("Using the Wizard"),
I'd explain that the written instructions include additional
information, so people should read the instructions before starting the
wizard. In situations when the additional information is critical to
correct operations, I've placed the note about the additional steps in
several places (e.g., beginning of chapter, section, manual) just
because you never know exactly what people will read.

I've run into these situations before, when programmers collapsed
information, or procedures changed but the GUI didn't, so you need to
help the user deal with it.

Kathleen


-----Original Message-----
From: l_migliorini -at- yahoo -dot- com



I am curious to know how others handle the following situation.

I have to document a wizard that has numbered steps - that is, the words
"Step 1 Step 2, Step 3," etc. appear right on the dialog and as part of
the name of that tab.

But of course, in the procedure I am writing, there are a few steps that
you must take before you even get to the wizard Step 1, so the "steps"
will always be out of synch.

I thought of having the main procedural steps  and then treating the
whole
wizard as just one step. That way the discrepancy between "my" numbers
and
the "wizard's" numbers would not be so great:

1. go to such and such and log on
2. navigate to such and such and change your options
3. change the path names and do blah blah
4. Use the Wizard.
   a. Step 1
   b. Step 2
   c. Step 3
   d. and so on.
5. do the next step of the main procedure once done with the wizard
6. save and close and so on.

What do the others think?




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

New from Quadralay Corporation: WebWorks ePublisher Pro! Easily create 
14 online formats, including 6 Help systems, in a project-based 
workflow. Live, online demo! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help 2005 now has RoboHelp Converter and HTML Source: Author 
content and configure Help in MS Word or any HTML editor. No 
proprietary editor! *August release. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.