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> Disregarding software manuals, would there be a reason, other
> than avoiding leaving a single word on a line, to use a soft
> return? I write only product manuals (e.g. Insert tab A into
> slot B for honziwiggle products.) I know that there are
> benefits to using soft returns for software manuals, but,
> again, I don't write software manuals. Please help settle this debate.
I use line breaks (soft returns) for text that needs to be treated as one
paragraph, the way Sue described, for certain text within tables, and for
long headings that would look better if they were presented on two or more
lines instead of one long line across the page. Occasionally, I use line
breaks for numbered lists where I want some text on the next line, but that
is usually for personal documents, like outlines where everything is
numbered. Mostly for me, the purpose of a line break is to enhance visual
appeal.
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