Writing User Guide and Help for Wireless Application Portal

["Eddie VanArsdall" <evanarsdall -at- comcast -dot- net>]

Saradha wrote <<I am a novice to the field of Technical Writing and new to
this list group. I seek advice on how to write a User Guide and Help feature
for a Wireless Application Portal.>>

Hi, Saradha. Welcome to the list, and welcome to the field!

For technical writing basics, I recommend "Technical Writing 101: A
Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Documentation" (Second
Edition) by Alan Pringle and Sarah O'Keefe. It covers the basics of planning
and executing TW projects, and it's written by two great, practicing
authors. You can find it on Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Writing-101-Real-World-Documentation/dp/0970
47332X/sr=1-1/qid=1170602621/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7507634-8744652?ie=UTF8&s=b
ooks. This book is practical and concise.

You'll also want to study some of the theory behind help development. Jean
Hollis Weber has an excellent book called "Is the Help Helpful?" You can
find this one on Amazon, too, at
http://www.amazon.com/Helpful-Create-Online-Meets-Users/dp/1930919603/sr=1-1
/qid=1170602857/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7507634-8744652?ie=UTF8&s=books. The
Amazon reviews of this book are lukewarm, because the author gives some
examples in Winhelp, an older help format, but I have owned this book since
it was a PDF download on the author's website, and I think it's unique and
valuable. It's about the substance of help--not the output format or the
tools used. And in that respect, it's great.

As far as the tools you're using, just search on the tool name: FrameMaker,
ePublisher, Word, RoboHelp. There are plenty of helpful books and sites for
learning tools and troubleshooting problems. (For ePublisher, Quadralay's
own user guide is the only written resource that I know of.)

That should get you started.

Eddie

Edward VanArsdall
Information Design and Development
Technical Writing and Editing | Training | Instructional Design |
Informational Analysis
Senior Member, Society for Technical Communication
evanarsdall -at- comcast -dot- net
H: 703-486-2952
C: 703-201-6433

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

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